Dave

Strategic Concepts & Mechanics

Cornerstone MoveGrit, Rigour, Humour Doctrine Across Diverse Sectors

Signature MoveSafety Before Profit, Always

Decision FrameworkNavigating Regulatory Arbitrage

Operating PrincipleRewarding Safety Like Profit

Operating PrincipleProfessional Management for New Frontiers

Strategic PatternChallenge-Seeking as Expansion Fuel

Signature MoveBoardroom Metrics Tied to Real-World Consequence

Cornerstone MoveBuy When Others Flee Fossil Fuels

Cornerstone MoveShift to Growth Markets Despite Home Hostility

Signature MoveGrit, Rigour, Humour as Daily Operating System

Signature Move‘Don’t Do Dumb Shit’ Decision Rule

Signature MoveCalm as a Weapon at the Negotiation Table

Signature MoveCollect Relationships Like Intelligence Assets

Signature MoveGifts That Outlast the Commission Check

Identity & CultureConsensus Hiring, Two Promotes Per Import

Cornerstone MovePackage the Elements, Then Force the Bid

Identity & CultureMailroom Encyclopedia Before Anyone Else Wakes

Competitive AdvantageBe the Outlier in a Multiplayer Contest

Operating PrincipleTreat Every Client as a Corporation

Signature MoveThousand Letters a Year, Zero Left Unanswered

Cornerstone MoveNo Fee Letter, Just Trust—Then Name Your Price

Decision FrameworkNever Promise a Name You Can't Deliver

Cornerstone MoveOrchestrate the Room Before Anyone Sits Down

Signature MoveCars in the Garage Before Dawn

Risk DoctrineNo Written Contracts, No Anniversary to Leave

Relationship LeverageThe Ten-Minute Watch on the Desk

Strategic PatternMirror Their Culture, Not Yours

Primary Evidence

"Today I feel we have made good progress in all the areas above. Sport has settled, and we can see good progress in the America’s Cup and Football. Cycling and Formula One are both run by the world’s best pros, and we don’t presume to be able to offer a great deal of advice – well, maybe just occasionally when Toto or Dave get their tyre choices muddled (). Oil & Gas has seen the arrival of two very senior pros from BP and has been transformed. Belstaff will show its first profit for a decade or more, and it recorded its highest ever sales level in 2022. And Auto have finally sold a car! I have fallen in love with the Grenadier, which always brings a smile to my face when I open the garage door and the unused G-Wagen keys gather dust on the garage hook."

Source:Grit, Rigour & Humour: The INEOS Story

"Because it’s human nature to resist being sold, I avoided cold-calling prospective clients. Better for them to come to me; better to be wooed than to pitch. I dispatched Jay Moloney on a recon mission to Peter Lassally, Late Night’s executive producer. Jay listened carefully to Peter’s woes, then offered his opinion: “Dave is naked against all the forces lined up behind Jay. He needs help.”"

Source:Who Is Michael Ovitz?

"Dave’s problem was that he was a regular guy from Indianapolis who didn’t lobby or whine or throw his weight around. He thought that he’d inherit the biggest seat in late night on merit: he was clearly a more original talent than Jay, and therefore a more natural heir to Johnny. But that’s not how the business works. Behind that biting sense of humor Dave was an innocent."

Source:Who Is Michael Ovitz?

Appears In Volumes

Grit, Rigour & Humour: The INEOS Story Who Is Michael Ovitz?