I like to take CEOs into consumers' homes to see the "real world." CEOs have privileged lives with big incomes, lots of help, access to just about anything they wish. The average consumer lives on $53,000 a year and has daily tradeoffs and compromises that must be made. I took a CEO into a trailer park so he could observe first-hand - and understand - how consumers use his product.

People need to be inspired. They need to hear and believe a story. If you want them to be self-motivated, you need to engage them.

Don't ask your customers what they want. This rule is based on the view that they probably don't know. You have to fully understand them, the context for their needs and their major dissatisfactions.

Companies that get in trouble have a failure to see two realities: market trends and competitor attacks.

All great companies have spirit and culture. Mean spirited returns mean spirit.

Better ramp up your virtual relationships. Companies think omni channel is the correct answer. This is not enough. The information explosion for consumers makes 24/7 and full and complete engagement possible.

Failure to make the tough but necessary choices means slow painful death.