If you want to improve at anything, you need to put in the effort. And that means what you don't do is just as important as what you choose to do.

As CEO, part of your job is Decider-in-Chief. A number of decisions land in your lap.

And there were two legendary CEOs in the news this week, who made major decisions at critical points in their companies' fortunes.

I was reminded of a series of decisions that Alan Mulally made shortly after he joined Ford as CEO in 2006.

When he was ushered into the executive parking garage beneath Ford's World Headquarters building in Dearborn, Michigan, Alan marveled at all of the vehicles lined up there: Jaguars, Aston Martins, Land Rovers, Volvos — all brands that Ford Motor Company owned at the time. But not a single Ford, Lincoln or Mercury, the core brands that built the company.

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