http://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/lukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/rss/comment/columnists/lukejohnsonFT.com - Luke Johnsonen© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2009. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. See http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/terms#legal1 for the terms and conditions of reuse.client.support@ft.com (Client Support)Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:14:32 +0000Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:47:02 +0000Newspapers60http://news.ft.com/cms/d1f3ce1a-6bbe-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.gifhttp://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/lukejohnson(PICS-1.1 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" L gen true for "http://www.ft.com/" r (SS~~000 1))http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/590c8b0c-d3c7-11de-8caf-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/590c8b0c-d3c7-11de-8caf-00144feabdc0.htmlLuke Johnson puts together a top 10 "not-to-do" list for entrepreneurs. Among them? Take on too much debt, get sick, never evolve and forget your customers.Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:14:32 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/188082a6-ce2b-11de-a1ea-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/188082a6-ce2b-11de-a1ea-00144feabdc0.htmlMost successful businesspeople live contrary to the view espoused by many philosophers that contentment means stability and tranquillity, writes Luke Johnson Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:38:32 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/268bcf66-c8c9-11de-8f9d-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=782015c4-f2e3-11dd-abe6-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/268bcf66-c8c9-11de-8f9d-00144feabdc0.htmlMaking sales, hiring new staff, generating a profit are all very well – but what really excites the boardroom is corporate intrigue, writes Luke Johnson Tue, 3 Nov 2009 23:11:02 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/88656a2e-c32b-11de-8eca-00144feab49a,dwp_uuid=782015c4-f2e3-11dd-abe6-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/88656a2e-c32b-11de-8eca-00144feab49a.htmlWhile we are suspicious of someone who has suffered a serious setback, we also respect hard-won experience, writes Luke Johnson Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:19:59 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/a1ffe460-bdbc-11de-9f6a-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a1ffe460-bdbc-11de-9f6a-00144feab49a.htmlPolitics is a dangerous game for business leaders, warns Luke Johnson , as they are unlikely to find what they are looking forTue, 20 Oct 2009 22:57:52 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/a35ff83e-b82d-11de-8ca9-00144feab49a,dwp_uuid=782015c4-f2e3-11dd-abe6-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a35ff83e-b82d-11de-8ca9-00144feab49a.htmlThere is no room for complacency, and no one said achievement is easy – but Luke Johnson says there are solutions to almost any problemTue, 13 Oct 2009 22:57:34 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/1ca126e4-b2bd-11de-b7d2-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1ca126e4-b2bd-11de-b7d2-00144feab49a.htmlThe conflict marking the Digital Age reminds Luke Johnson of the battles between the young and old in the 1960s over the Vietnam warTue, 6 Oct 2009 22:39:43 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/e76c1c3e-ad28-11de-9caf-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e76c1c3e-ad28-11de-9caf-00144feabdc0.htmlService and support sectors are all very well, but their output feels so much less tangible than a production business, writes Luke Johnson Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:01:49 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/1af05808-a7c1-11de-b0ee-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=f4ca5092-ebd8-11dd-8838-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1af05808-a7c1-11de-b0ee-00144feabdc0.htmlHumour and charm are a surprisingly powerful combination as a means of ascent in life. I have met a number of entrepreneurs who have built fortunes on the back of their wit and general popularity – and not much else, writes Luke Johnson Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:50:55 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/eac8a78a-a23d-11de-9caa-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eac8a78a-a23d-11de-9caa-00144feabdc0.htmlThey are the central device for supervision of companies. But the make-up of boards and how they meet are crucial to coming up with the right answers, writes Luke Johnson Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:32:25 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/22fdaeee-9cbb-11de-ab58-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/22fdaeee-9cbb-11de-ab58-00144feabdc0.htmlIt seems every profession has a small circle of characters who basically commands things. They compete ferociously for power, fame, money, market share, staff, property, awards. Could one characterise these gangs as mafia-like? Not really, writes Luke Johnson Tue, 8 Sep 2009 23:43:31 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/8ae7086a-973a-11de-83c5-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8ae7086a-973a-11de-83c5-00144feabdc0.htmlIt is a great shame that so much innovation now seems to stem from nameless teams inside large corporations. The whole idea of technological progress had so much more personality in the era of giants like Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, writes Luke Johnson Tue, 1 Sep 2009 23:02:47 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/7cc7249c-91a2-11de-879d-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7cc7249c-91a2-11de-879d-00144feabdc0.htmlLuke Johnson recalls the valuable insights into life he gained as a youngster doing casual work as a postman, lathe turner and disco king Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:10:36 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/c515b048-8c10-11de-b14f-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=782015c4-f2e3-11dd-abe6-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c515b048-8c10-11de-b14f-00144feabdc0.htmlThere are huge disconnects in lending that make no sense and it will require corporate financiers with imagination to solve the conundrum, writes Luke Johnson Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:23:28 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/724e5cc2-86be-11de-9e8e-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=782015c4-f2e3-11dd-abe6-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Flukejohnsonhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/724e5cc2-86be-11de-9e8e-00144feabdc0.htmlNow is the time to consider recharging the entrepreneurial batteries, and take the chance to consolidate – if you have the confidence, the cash and the people, writes Luke Johnson Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:16:11 +0100