The following article is from forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/08/02/top-25-websites-for-ceos/)
written by Mike Myatt (http://blogs.forbes.com/mikemyatt/)
on 2nd August 2012
While I agree with many of these and like the way he
leads from our own web site through the competitor and customer, we also need
to consider the amount of time delegated to self education, which should form
part of leader’s schedule. There are
certainly a number of other good web sites, but this is a good, well balanced
list to start from in my view.
Top 25 Websites
for CEOs
If you want to shorten your shelf life
as a CEO, it’s easy to do – be uninformed and disengaged. There’s a big world
out there, and CEOs need to get out of their bubble and go see it for
themselves. Too many chief executives live in an isolated world of constant
travel, public policy and capital markets road shows, board and executive
meetings, and management briefings – everything is filtered, packaged and fed
to them. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM.
Let me be clear; isolation is not synonymous with highest and best use – it’s career suicide. Delegation should not be confused with abdication, and span of control should never be confused with span of influence or awareness. I’m not suggesting chief executives engage in hours of mindless web-surfing activity, but I am suggesting they use the Internet for personal/professional development, research and business intelligence like the rest of the world does. CEOs must wake-up to the fact the Internet just isn’t a tool for their staff.
Following are my top picks for the Top 25 Websites
for CEOs (in no particular order of preference):
The Obvious But Overlooked
1. Your Company Website: You’d be surprised how many chief executives have
no idea what’s published on their own website – big mistake. I was
recently retained by a Fortune 100 company to work with their new incoming CEO,
and when I enquired as to why he wasn’t listed on the company website, he
sheepishly stated he’d been on board 6 months and hadn’t even checked the
website. This is one of those “the buck stops here” things – if you’re the CEO,
you better understand the entirety of your company’s digital footprint (public
sites, sites behind the firewall, social media accounts, partner sites, etc.).
2. Your Competitor’s Websites: There are few competitive intelligence tools as
effective as the online profiles of your competitors. There’s always a great
temptation to delegate this activity to staff, but at a minimum, make sure you
are briefed on a regular basis. However the better method is to own at least
some of the homework yourself – you’ll find the knowledge acquired invaluable.
3. Your Customer’s Websites: It’s difficult to relate to your customers if you
don’t know and understand them. A little time spent understanding the digital
footprint of a client can lead to great conversations and big business. When
customers find out you’ve invested time in getting to know their company,
culture, challenges and opportunities, you’ll have escalated your relationship
to a more fruitful level.
Unusual Suspects
4. Foreign
Affairs: There are very few businesses of any
scale who can’t afford to think globally, and there’s no better publication to
inform you on international news and information than Foreign Affairs.
5. Psychology
Today: One of the most thought provoking and
informative magazines dealing with the human psyche. CEOs are first and
foremost in the people business, and few publications will offer insights into
the human condition like this one.
6. Mashable: This is where the cool kids hang out for news and
information. With 20 million unique visitors and 6 million social media
followers, Mashable has become one of the most engaged online news communities.
It has both aggregated and original content, and multiple topical channels.
7. The Build Network: This is
one of my favorite new publications/websites. With a truly unique format, the
information here is short, crisp, relevant, and actionable. Well worth a visit
for every CEO.
8. Twitter: This
social networking site offers one of the best listening posts on the Internet.
Virtually every major brand is represented on Twitter, as well as numerous
thought leaders, and CEOs like Richard Branson, Michael Dell, Marissa Mayer,
Thomas Geisel, Rupert Murdoch, and many more. If you think you’re too busy, or
too important to be on Twitter, think again.
9. TED: Want to
know what’s coming next? Visit the TED website and view videos from the world’s
hottest innovators and thought leaders.
10. LinkedIn: Perhaps
the world’s greatest talent engine, LinkedIn gives you virtually unfettered
access to passive talent if you’re willing to pony-up for a modest subscription
fee. Well worth the price.
News and Commentary
11. Forbes: You’re
reading this now, so you must agree. Forbes has some of the best contributors
and columnists in the business, while the site does offer hard news, the
editorial content is definitely it’s strength – it’s rich and there’s a lot of
it.
12. CEO.com: The site offers
aggregated and original content specifically designed for CEOs. Who’s hot or
not, in or out, and tips and advice for the chief executive. A great one stop
shop for C-level items of interest.
13. Chief Executive Magazine:
Every industry has a leading trade rag, and this is it for CEOs. The site
contains news, editorial and research specifically catering to the chief
executive.
14. Wall Street Journal: Still
the gold standard for financial news and insightful commentary. Plenty of hard
news and some insightful commentary to boot.
15. The Economist: Consistently
sound thinking with a global focus can be found on the Economist. Everything
here is fair game; politics, religion, business, education, innovation, and of
course, the economy.
Research and Intelligence
16. Corporate Executive Board:
There aren’t too many global brands who aren’t members, so what’s your excuse?
I’ve never met a chief executive who couldn’t benefit from being better
informed.
17. Forrester:
Probably the world’s best known business research firm. Forrester covers all
major segments with top-notch analysts.
18. EDGAR: The SEC database on securities filings and
forms. If you want the latest info on public companies, this the place to find
what you’re looking for (10k, 10Q, etc,).
19. YouTube: The world’s second largest search engine (a
subsidiary of the largest) is a great resource when you need topical video
content at your fingertips. It was recently reported users watch 4 Billion
hours of YouTube videos a month.
Leadership & Strategy
20. Strategy & Business: Published by Booz & Co.,
you’ll find timely information on all things strategy, and a bit of topical
content on leadership as well. The site is particularly good for what I call
catorials (editorialized case studies).
21. HBR: I have a love hate relationship with HBR. Some
of the authors offer pure brilliance as their contribution, but you’ll have to
filter through some mundane B-school nonsense to find it. Nonetheless, when
it’s good, it’s really good.
22. The Conference Board Review: Their tagline, ideas and opinions for the world’s business leaders, says it all. Snappy content on a
variety of global business issues important to leaders.
23. Hack Management 2.0: Better known as the Management
Innovation eXchange, this site encourages fresh debate on topics related to
leadership and management. The site also sponsors numerous competitions for
innovative submissions on the hot business topics of the day. You’ll find many
thought provoking subjects worth the time to peruse.
24. Real Leaders: The
website of Young President’s Organization’s official leadership
magazine. Intended to inspire better leaders for a better world,
this site contains leadership editorial, CEO profiles, and topical case
studies designed for CEOs by CEOs.
25: The N2growth Blog: My personal favorite:) If you like
what you’ve read from me on Forbes, CEO.com, Success, Entrepreneur, The Washington Times, etc., you might also enjoy my company’s
leadership blog (authored by yours truly). Consistently ranked among the top
leadership blogs, I write specifically for CEOs. As a bonus, a few other
blogs from leaders I enjoy are:Richard Branson’s Blog, Mark Cuban’s Blog,
and Tom
Peter’s Blog.
The above list is clearly not exhaustive, but it covers a lot of
ground.
Follow me on Twitter @mikemyatt
