Leadership is king!

There are many ways to evaluate companies these days. It seems as if every analyst has an economic model whether it's new or old to illustrate the strenghts and weaknesses of an organization. It's my opinion that great leaders are the true key indicators of the strength of an organization, whether that's in the near future or forward looking.  If you look at some of the great american companies, their leaders are what drive sustainable success.

 Philip Selznick's book titled Leadership and Administration, explored the ideas of institutional leadership and distinctive competence. Philip Selznick believes leaders "create and define an organization’s purpose or mission. In more contemporary terms, institu-
tional leaders help create a vision for an organization around which its members can rally." Philip not only believes the institutional leadership is what sets the vision, but it creates the distinctive competence on the core  - "those activities
that a particular firm does better than any competing firms." I believe Philip's analysis is extremely accurate when you look at some of them most successful organizations around the world.

Dick's Sporting Goods is no different. Their CEO and Chairman Ed Stack has provided great vision, structure and support to his organization that has helped created the #1 Sports retailer in the United States. I've attached a few links that go back in time that helps outline what Ed Stack has meant to Dick Sporting Goods.

http://www.binghamton.edu/news/inside/news.html?issue=2007jun21&id=6

http://archive.fortune.com/2010/04/20/news/companies/dicks_sporting_goods.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2010042709

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/businessnews/2004/11/21/Ed-s-way-stacks-up-well-for-Dick-s-Sporting-Goods/stories/200411210231