There are lots of interesting stories that flicker across my screen every week. Here are some that didn't make it to the blog, but are worth reading. I'm pointing you to stories about Bob Nardelli and Chrysler, an Indian approach to retailing, Forbes' CEO of the Year, and Enterprise Risk Management.

From the New York Times: Once Tainted, Nardelli Now Has Chrysler’s Keys
"When Robert L. Nardelli was sent packing from Home Depot in January with a $210 million exit package and a reputation as an imperious chief executive who had made strategic blunders, he seemed tarnished forever. Chrysler workers outside their Auburn Hills headquarters Monday, part of ceremonies to mark Cerberus Capital Management’s purchase of the company. But that’s not the way some big investors see him. To them, he is a former operations whiz at General Electric who can bring new managerial discipline to Chrysler, and make the struggling Detroit automaker hum again. And so, in being named chief executive, Mr. Nardelli, 59, is being given the chance to try to bring off two comebacks: Chrysler’s, and his own."

From the International Herald Tribune: Chrysler CEO's silence about his pay does not help repair his reputation
"Opportunity knocked, and Robert Nardelli missed it. If he really wanted to begin rehabilitating his tarnished reputation, he could have started his CEO job at Chrysler by publicly promising he would not accept a penny in pay."

From the Wall Street Journal: In India, a Retailer Finds Key to Success Is Clutter
"Americans and Europeans might like to shop in pristine and quiet stores where products are carefully arranged. But when Mr. Biyani tried that in Western-style supermarkets he opened in India six years ago, too many customers walked down the wide aisles, past neatly stocked shelves and out the door without buying. Mr. Biyani says he soon figured out what he was doing wrong. Shopping in such a sterile environment didn't appeal to the lower middle-class shoppers he was targeting. They were more comfortable in the tiny, cramped stores -- often filled with haggling customers -- that typify Indian shopping. Most Indians buy their fresh produce from vendors who keep vegetables under burlap sacks."

From Forbes: What's In A Leader?
"Recent focus on board activism and chief executive turnover would have you believe that these are particularly difficult times for CEOs and that the job of a CEO is more challenging than it has ever been. The fact is, the job of a CEO has always been a highly complex task. "

Wally's Comment: This is the lead article in Forbes' CEO of the Year Award coverage. This year the award goes to Bob Ulrich of Target. The cover article is an excellent overview of some CEOs who've won the award and their widely differing styles.

From CNN: Survey: Board Directors and General Counsel Struggling with Corporate Risks
"Corporate Board Member magazine and FTI Consulting, Inc. , the global business advisory firm, collaborated on the seventh annual legal study, the findings of which indicate that with the glut of leveraged buyouts (LBOs) hitting U.S. companies, enterprise risk management (ERM) has moved to the forefront of issues facing boards of directors and general counsel.

In their efforts to reduce corporate risk, companies are increasingly turning to ERM, a systematic approach to identifying, quantifying, managing, and mitigating risk, noted Roger Carlile, leader of FTI Consulting's Forensic and Litigation Consulting segment. "If crisis management is the remedy to an explosive situation, ERM is the preventive medicine," Carlile said.

While 45% of directors and 48% of general counsel spent more time on ERM in 2006 than in previous years, only 27% of directors and 25% of general counsel said they would like their boards to allow more time for ERM in 2007. "Dedicating more resources to ERM can reduce the number of day-to-day crises that consume directors' and counsel's time," Carlile said."

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