The Agile Scaleup

Powerful Word; Longest Tenured; Spotify CEO; Dec 13 - 14

Spotify has too many people “doing work around the work” rather than contributing to opportunities with real impact.
                                 Daniel Ek, Spotify CEO announcing 17% layoff

If you plan for this to be your new normal, you get much more innovative.
                                 Williams Sonoma CEO Laura Alber, on the economy

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.
                                 Napoleon Hill

Please invest 2 to 8 minutes to keep current and review fundamentals. Thank you!

One Day or Day One?
I attended Joe Polish’s Genius Network annual event last weekend. One big takeaway – are you sitting around saying “one day I’ll….” or is this going to be “day one” of something you know you need to do? Implementing AI? Intermittent fasting? Exercise? Meditation? Launching a new product? Is Monday day one or another one day? Decide, because you’ll accomplish more!

Influencing Someone? Use a “Because” Statement
You know I love to give attribution, but I can’t remember who shared at Joe’s event the powerful idea of using a “because” statement. “Please take out the trash because…” is magnitudes more influential than simply “Please take out the trash.” And the guru suggested it doesn’t matter “the because” you choose!! In short, when asking anyone or any team to do something, provide a reason for doing it – add a because statement – always! Because it works!

Zero to $60 Million MSP Via Acquisition (Scaling Up Case Study)
This ScaleUps.com article details how managed service provider (MSP) founder Marc Visser is using our Scaling Up tools to integrate 14 acquisitions with more coming in Germany and Spain. With 300 people and considered an “employer of choice”, Hallo is providing a “one-stop-shop” of IT and telecom services for small to mid-sized businesses. He’s next adding two M&A team members to accelerate growth via acquisitions – creating a single trusted brand in a fragmented industry. Can you do the same?

CEO Daniel Ek’s Letter to Employees
What do you say to your team when you decide to reduce headcount by 17% after announcing positive earnings? This For the Record Spotify post is CEO Daniel Ek’s Dec. 4 letter to the employees. It’s worth 1 minute to read. In short, cheap capital drove over-resourcing (they threw people at the problems/opportunities) and found they have a substantial number of people “doing work around the work” vs. real work! Do you have the same? What are your gross margin dollars per FTE or dollar of payroll? Has it gone up or down the last 36 months? Pls have your CFO send you the numbers ASAP so you know if you’re more or less labor efficient.

Less People Paid More, Lower Total Cost
Please read our 100+ page Scaling Up Compensation book detailing the five principles that will align your compensation with your strategy – and drive more efficiency and results. It’s one of your largest expenses – “Get it right and out-of-sight!” Because getting it right can drive hundreds of percent improvement in top and bottom lines with examples to show in the book.

Longest-Serving Female CEO of a Fortune 500
Laura Albers has been with Williams Sonoma for 28 years, 13 as CEO, making her the longest-serving female CEO of a Fortune 500 by a factor of 2! Growing top line by $5 billion to $8.5 billion, this Fortune article details how she weathered the Great Recession, the pandemic, and now the slowdown in luxury goods purchases. One key is to assume chaos is the new norm. Focusing on specific niches like wedding registries and children’s furniture; “Life Stages” like baby and dorm rooms; and having recession-proof offerings – plus the addition of AI to help people design complete rooms – Laura plans to double revenue again no matter what the macro economy does. Please take 2-minutes to read how she does what she does. My key questions – what are your unique niches and what trends do you see?

Register for Next Week’s Master Class – Because Our Stuff Works!
Register for the Dec 13 – 14 (two 90-min sessions each day) plus a bonus CEO-only session Dec 12. Join hundreds of CEOs and their team members already registered for next week’s virtual Scaling Up Master Class which I (Verne) teach twice per year. Review the fundamentals, like you would golf, tennis, bowling, every six months and prepare for continued economic chaos.



Scaling Up Virtual Master Class Dec 13 – 14 (6 hours total)
Review the fundamentals of Scaling Up and energize the team going into 2024. Four 90-minute sessions taught by author Verne Harnish – People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. Jump-start execution of these key tools/techniques. Register here.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

COACHING: 
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Guatemala, Mexico, Chile – December 15, 2023 (Virtual)
Columbus, OH – Jan 19, 2024 (In-Person)
Guatemala, Mexico, Chile – January 25, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney Australia – Feb 8, 2024 (Day 1, In-Person)
Sydney Australia – Feb 9, 2024 (Day 2, In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 28 & 29, 2024 (2 Days, In-Person)
Auckland, NZ – March 11, 2024 (In-Person)
Guatemala, Mexico, Chile – March 25, 2024 (Virtual)
Austin, TX – March 26, 2024 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 1, 2024 (In-Person)
Portland, OR – May 8, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
San Diego, CA – June 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2028 (In-Person)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This email newsletter may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Starbuck’s Strategy; Munger Investment Advice; Pink Shell Resort; CEO Job Description

Forget what you know about buying fair businesses at wonderful prices; instead, buy wonderful businesses at fair prices.
                                 Charlie Munger’s advice to Warren Buffett

To get limitless, we need to confront what limits us.
                                 Laxman Narasimhan, Starbucks CEO

Please invest 2 to 8 minutes to keep current and review fundamentals. Thank you!

Job Description of a CEO?
Several of you asked what the source of Scott Farquhar’s “4 Jobs of a CEO” I referenced last week. Scott was kind enough to share – it’s from a lengthy article he’s been re-reading the past decade by Stever Robbins. It details, including KPIs, the “Job Description of a CEO.” And I agree with Scott, it’s excellent!! It will take you 19 minutes to read – then regularly re-read like Scott. It might also convince you to hire a CEO!

Charlie Munger’s Investment Tips
Warren Buffett’s partner for over four decades, Charlie Munger died Tuesday at age 99. This Fortune article summarizes Munger’s investment tips that made him legendary. His best advice?

…stop searching for bargain-basement prices. It’s better to buy three wonderful businesses, after all, than dozens of average ones.

 And this advice relayed in the Fortune article:

“It’s so simple to spend less than you earn, and invest shrewdly, and avoid toxic people and toxic activities, and try and keep learning all your life, and do a lot of deferred gratification,” he said at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting in May. “If you do all those things, you are almost certain to succeed. If you don’t, you’re going to need a lot of luck.”

 Please take 2-minutes to read a nice summary of Munger’s wisdom with additional links to Buffett’s shareholder letter this year.

Starbuck’s 3 Priorities – Can You State Yours This Simply?
This Forbes article shares CEO Laxman Narasimhan’s “Triple Shot Reinvention Strategy”:

• Expand to 35,000 locations outside North America by 2030
• Reduce costs by $3 billion
• Double barista income by 2025

CEO Laxman, working monthly as a barista around the world the past 8 months, has guided Starbucks based on firsthand intel interacting with customers and employees – not sitting in his office making stuff up!! 4^th quarter earnings recently topped expectations and stock is up 22% this year.

Constraints – Talent and Distribution Points
Double barista income; more than double locations; and pay for it with $3 billion in efficiencies everywhere – seems simple and obvious – better people and more locations – and if executed should 2x - 4x valuation? Great strategies always seem obvious, though there’s a lot of detail behind each of these. For instance, doubling barista income is a combination of wages and hours. What are your key constraints to scaling in 2024 and beyond?

Have You Named Your Strategy?
Notice Laxman has given the strategy a clever name which aligns with the brand – Triple Shot Reinvention. What is the name of your 3-point strategy? A strategy without a name is like writing a book without a title! And what are your 3 key drivers/priorities for increasing the valuation of your business between now and 2030? Let a Scaling Up Coach help with both.

Dying to Tell You – Dr. Mark Goulston
Dear friend Dr. Mark Goulston is dying to tell you what mortality is teaching him. He is a death and dying specialist facing his own mortality (facing a fatal disease) and the universe is telling him to share what he's learned from fifty years of listening. He says that if he knew these things decades earlier, it would have changed his life for the better. Now you can learn them to change your life for the better... and you don't need to be dying to learn them.

Series of Short Videos – Dr. Mark Goulston
He addresses dozens of poignant, painful, and practical topics in bite-sized videos ranging from anorexia, burnout, or the two best questions to impress anyone personally or professionally. Scan the list at the link above. Mark, thanks for sharing your decades of wisdom with all of us and best of luck in staying alive.

Pink Shell Resort, Ft. Myers, FL – top NPS Score (Scaling Up Case study)
One of only 10 resorts to get back operational in six months following the devastation of Hurricane Ian, Pink Shell Resort, with the help of coach Aquiles Nunez since 2017, used Scaling Up to triple the organization in 3 years and then come back quickly after the storm. This Scaleups.com article details their successful implementation of our tools. Notes Nunez: 

…an unwavering passion to ‘creating memories’ for each of their guests… has resulted in a major fanocracy that has been supporting the hotel during these hard times.

Are you and your team focused on creating raving fans. Let a Scaling Up coach help – as we have for over 82,000 firms. And enjoy a wonderful experience at the Pink Shell Resort this winter, operated by brothers Robert and Jack Boykin.

Focus on the Fundamentals – Virtual Scaling Up Master Course and Class
Prepare you and your team for 2024 by reviewing the People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash fundamentals of Scaling Up. Two virtual options:

• Scaling Up Master Class – four 90-minute virtual sessions Dec 13 and 14 (3 hr. each day). Includes 90-minute CEO-only session Dec 12.

• Scaling Up Master Course – much more personalized and in-depth training over 13 weeks with coaching and support – spread out the learning to support implementation.

Our coaching partners around the globe regularly host in-person workshops – listed below the insights – and personalized strategic planning sessions. Join over 82,000 firms which have scaled easier using our tools/techniques and prepare for 2024 with your strategic theme and priorities.



Scaling Up Virtual Master Class Dec 13 – 14 (6 hours total)
Review the fundamentals of Scaling Up and energize the team going into 2024. Four 90-minute sessions taught by author Verne Harnish – People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. Jump-start execution of these key tools/techniques. Register here.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

COACHING: 
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Charleston, SC – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Dec 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Guatemala, Mexico, Chile – December 15, 2023 (Virtual)
Columbus, OH – Jan 19, 2024 (In-Person)
Guatemala, Mexico, Chile – January 25, 2024 (Virtual)
Sydney Australia – Feb 8, 2024 (Day 1, In-Person)
Sydney Australia – Feb 9, 2024 (Day 2, In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 28 & 29, 2024 (2 Days, In-Person)
Auckland, NZ – March 11, 2024 (In-Person)
Guatemala, Mexico, Chile – March 25, 2024 (Virtual)
Austin, TX – March 26, 2024 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 1, 2024 (In-Person)
Portland, OR – May 8, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
San Diego, CA – June 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2028 (In-Person)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This email newsletter may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Cartoon; PE Firm Focus; Elon’s 10; Grant’s Latest Hidden Potential

Private equity firms worldwide are sitting on about $2 trillion worth of “dry powder”— at a time when the number of attractive targets has declined.
                                 Ted Bililies, HBR article

…which levers are most important for creating value in their portfolio companies, PE executives cite leadership effectiveness more often than anything else.
                                 Ted Bililies, HBR article

Please invest 2 to 8 minutes to keep current and review fundamentals. Thank you!


                                 Courtesy of The New Yorker

PE Firms Need a Talent Development Strategy
This latest HBR article suggests PE firms need to focus more on the talent development side of their portfolio firms. With higher interest rates, longer holding periods, and more competition among PE firms, scaling valuation has gotten tougher focusing only on the financial side of the business. The human capital side is where the most significant gains can be made (70% vs. 30%)! Our Topgrading Master Course (talent selection) and completely branded “company university” offering, for a few thousand per month to support talent development, are priorities for 2024. Email me if we can demo or go to www.growthinstitute.com.

25-min HBR Podcast – Additional Insights
This 25-min HBR podcast interview of the article author might be more accessible. In short, actively supporting talent and leadership selection and development is key – the same for all firms!! Thank you to serial entrepreneur and investor Steve Hall for sharing this insightful article. The key is to PE yourself!!

Adam Grant’s New Book – Hidden Potential
Always insightful, it’s a great read this holiday season – and includes a 5-min Hidden Potential assessment. It’s an assessment of three key character skills that propel us to greater heights:

• being a sponge (proactively absorbing information to grow)
• a discomfort seeker (embracing opportunities to stretch beyond your strengths)
• an imperfectionist (accepting the right flaws).

Those three provide a nice summary of what it takes to reach your potential. Your own talent development is #1, aligning with what PE firms are finding is key to driving valuation.

Steve Jobs on A-Players
This one-minute IG reel features Steve Jobs highlighting how his obsession with finding five A-Players created the momentum needed to propel Apple. And why A-Players do not want to work with B- and C-players. Always a great reminder.

Serial Entrepreneur Ron Lovett's Latest Podcast
Looking for something additional to listen to, Ron Lovett’s (author of Scaling Culture and Outrageous Empowerment) latest podcast details why behaviors are more important than values in defining and sustaining company culture. Plus, how to adopt behaviors within a company using rituals.

Elon Musk’s 10 Laws
This Fortune article distills Musk’s unique approach to scaling ventures. Fortune takes a serious approach to the list – it’s not some biting or fluff piece. “Fund a big vision with a side venture that makes money” as his Starlink venture is doing to support his Mars venture, is similar to Jack Stack’s creation of “overhead absorbers.” Please take 3 minutes this weekend to scan thru the list – good and bad.



Scaling Up Virtual Master Class Dec 13 – 14 (6 hours total)
Review the fundamentals of Scaling Up and energize the team going into 2024. Four 90-minute sessions taught by author Verne Harnish – People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. Jump-start execution of these key tools/techniques. Register here.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Perth, Australia – Nov 29. 2023 (In-Person)
Charleston, SC – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Dec 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Columbus, OH – Jan 19, 2024 (In-Person)
Sydney Australia – Feb 8, 2024 (Day 1, In-Person)
Sydney Australia – Feb 9, 2024 (Day 2, In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 28 & 29, 2024 (2 Days, In-Person)
Auckland, NZ – March 11, 2024 (In-Person)
Austin, TX – March 26, 2024 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 1, 2024 (In-Person)
Portland, OR – May 8, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
San Diego, CA – June 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2028 (In-Person)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

COACHING:  
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This email newsletter may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

4 Jobs of a CEO; Elon Safety; Talent Pool; MDW Help

I travel light. I think the most important thing is to be in a good mood and enjoy life, wherever you are.
                                 Diane Von Furstenberg, fashion designer by Chip Conley

I grew up knowing that you could do cool things if you cared a little more, if you fought a little harder.
                                 Christina Lampe-Onnerud, battery entrepreneur

Please invest 2 to 8 minutes scanning these insights – keeping you current!
 
Frances Frei -- Replay and Notes – Scaling Up+ Learning Event
Harvard’s famous strategist Frances Frei substituted for her co-author Anne Morriss!  If you missed our 99-minute “four top 2023 authors” learning event, register to watch the replay with your team along with nicely structured notes from the session.  The replay is nicely divided by presenter, so go right to whom you would like to watch and learn.  FYI, it’s important to get 2-hours of learning together each month or quarter. 

The Mom Project -- Excellent “Fishing Hole” for Talent
I mentioned in an earlier insight how Kawasaki revamped their factory schedule to employ stay-at-home moms wanting to work 9:30am – 2:30pm. This BBC item reports on The Mom Project (www.themomproject.com), a site where organizations can post jobs recruiting moms that want to work and a site for moms looking for work.

Unleash Explosive Revenue Growth -- Hunt Big Sales' Proven Sales Strategies (Sponsor)
HBS’s clients, primarily small and mid-sized businesses, achieved a remarkable 143% year-over-year revenue growth in Q3, driven by a strategic shift in sales messaging, enhanced buyer engagement, and the implementation of our proprietary Bigger Sales Faster™ process. HBS gets results, underscoring the transformative power of their effective sales strategies, enabling businesses to reach higher-level buyers and accelerate sales cycles. Schedule a complimentary consultation today and discover how Hunt Big Sales can transform your sales performance and achieve your revenue goals. Don't miss out on this opportunity to turbocharge your business growth. CLICK HERE to contact us today!

World’s Best Places to Work – Women, Millennials, Overall
Hilton took first place with Atlassian coming in at #16. Scan the full Fortune list of 25 “Best Places to Work in the World”. You’ll also notice lists for Best Places for Women (Hilton #1 again) and Millennials (Cisco #1). Think about having your children work for these firms – and they consistently outperform the S&P 500.

The Four Things a CEO Should Do – Atlassian’s Co-CEO
This 1-minute Instagram features Atlassian (#16 Best Places to Work) co-CEO Scott Farquhar sharing the four things a CEO should do – and how he measures his time spent against these four:

• Hire and Fire Senior Team
• Set the Vision
• Set the Culture
• Resource Allocation and Big Bets

Elon -- Safety Idiot?
Insight reader Brian Jardem shared this Nov. Reuters article detailing the 600 workplace safety issues SpaceX has experienced since 2014, including amputations, electrocutions, head and eye injuries, and one death. I hope Elon is taking this seriously and fixing this “idiot index.”

CEOs Gathering Market Intel – David Risher Lyft
The best way to know which big bets to place is to immerse yourself in the market. David Risher, the new CEO of Lyft, continues to drive, meeting and talking with passengers and other drivers.

Only Charity I Promote -- Helping Women Entrepreneurs with Scholarships
In the spirit of teaching to fish vs. giving fish, do you get value from these insights? In return, please consider a donation to MDW which urgently needs to raise $30k (I donated $10k) for scholarships. Leading up to Giving Tuesday (on 11/28)*, Million Dollar Women (MDW) has a nonprofit arm called the Million Dollar Women Fund (MDW Fund), created to #closethegap, which grants women of color entrepreneurs scholarships to access business coaching programs. In a shaky economy, this help has become crucial for many women still struggling to recover from pandemic setbacks. Thank you!



Scaling Up Virtual Master Class Dec 13 – 14 (6 hours total)
Review the fundamentals of Scaling Up and energize the team going into 2024. Four 90-minute sessions taught by author Verne Harnish – People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. Jump-start execution of these key tools/techniques. Register here.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Brussels, Belgium – Nov 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Perth, Australia – Nov 29. 2023 (In-Person)
Charleston, SC – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Dec 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Columbus, OH – Jan 19, 2024 (In-Person)
Sydney Australia – Feb 8, 2024 (Day 1, In-Person)
Sydney Australia – Feb 9, 2024 (Day 2, In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 28 & 29, 2024 (2 Days, In-Person)
Auckland, NZ – March 11, 2024 (In-Person)
Austin, TX – March 26, 2024 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 1, 2024 (In-Person)
Portland, OR – May 8, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
San Diego, CA – June 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2028 (In-Person)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)

COACHING:  
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This email newsletter may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Idiot Index; Fastest Growing; Gran Canary; Nov 14

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.
                                 Robert Frost​ per Tim Ferriss

Since they are plumbers, they can fix the leaks!
                                 Carlos Abisambra’s Super Mario Brothers Theme

Tim Henson – Playing God
Enjoy this guitarist Tim Ferriss recommended while reading the insights.

Gran Canary Islands, The Keys, Vail – CEO Boot Camps
Three new CEO Boot Camps announced for 2024. See below for dates and resorts.

Get Customers Calling You – Be the Authority Nov 14
Adam Witty, co-author of The Authority Advantage, is our final 22-minute keynoter of the four presenting at our virtual Scaling Up Learning event next Tuesday, Nov 14, 11:14am – 12:53pm ET. Positioning you and your firm as the authority in your industry is key to getting customers to call you instead of you having to cold call potential clients. Register for our free bi-annual virtual learning event and get a link to watch a recording if you miss it. 99-minutes, the equivalent of reading 4 books.

Manufacturing is Back – World’s 100 Fastest Growing Firms
Fortune’s latest list is notable for the number of manufacturing firms. I find it useful to scan thru to get a sense of market trends you could take advantage of! These firms outperformed the S&P 500 by a factor of almost 3 this past three years – 42% annualized return vs. 15%. Notes Fortune:

…if you look at this year’s list of Fortune’s 100 Fastest Growing Companies, you may think you’ve entered a time warp. Gone are the tech companies—Amazon and Facebook are off the list this year—as well as the many finance and healthcare companies that dominated past lists. What’s in their place? A variety of companies that make, mine, and sell physical stuff.

First and last on the list are homebuilders with Tesla coming in at #2. Crocs also made the list at #20! Again, take a moment to scan the list for trends.

Super Mario Brothers Theme – Powers Profit and Exit (Scaling Up Case)
Scaling to $100 million in 2022 with the help of Scaling Up Coach George Morris, Carlos Ambisambra’s Travelers Haven used a Super Mario Brothers quarterly theme to drive up margins which fueled a successful exit in Feb. ’23 to Blueground. Providing short-term housing to nurses and doctors, construction workers, sports teams, and other nomadic professionals, the company was “growing broke.” The key constraint was margin erosion. This ScaleUps.com article details how they fixed it.

Plumbers Fix Leaks (Mario Bros)
Small maintenance issues ($10 here, $50 there) were eroding already thin margins and sucking up 30% - 35% of their profit. First Carlos created a world-class culture, winning Best Place to Work awards for Denver and Colorado (are you applying for and winning these awards?) – the article describes how he did this. Then he focused the team using a Super Mario Brothers theme - since plumbers fix leaks! Using our meeting rhythm and rewards for achieving 1%, 1.5%, and 2% improvements in margin, it worked! Many on his leadership team thought, at first, this was a childish approach – but they’ve seen the results and drove a great exit (PE firms care most about gross margin improvement). Please read the details in the ScaleUps.com article and then: What is your theme for the balance of 2023 going into 2024? Focus on the key constraint to scaling valuation.

Idiot Index
Another label for constraints, Elon Musk had what he called the “idiot index.” Where are the outsized costs, time, or frustrations in the business? Focus there and find a potential 10x gain. Better yet, just eliminate the step, bolt, process, etc. Please read Elon’s biography by Walter Isaacson – I’m on page 508 and still learning!

Longevity – $106/month Beats $2 million
This Fortune article shares how a vegetable-rich diet, exercise, and meditation are helping a woman beat out a biotech entrepreneur who is spending $2 million/year on anti-aging. Her biggest health expenditures are a $27-a-month gym membership and a $79-a-month supplement subscription. If you’re into the latest longevity fads, scan this article and save some money and time – and your life!

The Amazing Health Transformation
Further to the point above, read Ritesh Bawri’s short book The Amazing Health Transformation (less than $6 on Kindle). Type 2 Diabetes, asthma, fatty liver, overweight, etc. – cured with a few simple lifestyle changes. I can attest to the same. One key – intermittent fasting – eat like we did for 200,000 years – you can’t change biology that quickly. And once I let my body experience hunger daily/weekly, my eyesight and all senses improved (I’m looking for food!). It works.

Love to Win or Hate to Lose – Kobe Bryant
This IG post, which many of you have likely seen, has challenged my view of whether it’s better to play to win vs. playing not to lose. Kobe Bryant’s view? It’s neither. I’ll let Kobe explain.

Gran Canary Islands, The Keys, Vail – CEO Boot Camps
Three new CEO Boot Camps announced for 2024. Invest in three intense and fun days/evenings working on your business with me (Verne Harnish) and an accomplished CEO as co-host. Join 7 other CEOs and their COOs/#2s.

• Jan 9 - 12, Gran Canary Islands, Spain – 4 seats
• Jan 30 – Feb 2, Marathon, FL – 2 seats (CEO-only)
• April 16 – 19, Vail, CO – 8 seats

For complete agenda, content, location info, testimonials, and fees.

Scaling Up Virtual Master Class Dec 13 – 14 (6 hours total)
Review the fundamentals of Scaling Up and energize the team going into 2024. Four 90-minute sessions taught by author Verne Harnish – People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. Jump-start execution of these key tools/techniques. Register here.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad, India – Nov 15, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, NZ – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
London, UK – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Brussels, Belgium – Nov 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Perth, Australia – Nov 29. 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Dec 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Columbus, OH – Jan 19, 2024 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 28 & 29, 2024 (2 Days, In-Person)
Auckland, NZ – March 11, 2024 (In-Person)
Austin, TX – March 26, 2024 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 1, 2024 (In-Person)
Portland, OR – May 8, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)
San Diego, CA – June 25, 2024 (In-Person)
Denver, CO – Sep 17, 2028 (In-Person)
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Oct 15, 2024 (In-Person)
San Antonio, TX – Dec 10, 2024 (In-Person)

COACHING:  
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This email newsletter may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Sock Puppets; Bond Rate Predictor; Hotshot Rule; Nov 14 Free Learning Summit

The single most important decision in evaluating a business is pricing power.
                                 Warren Buffett

I have the knowledge of my situation, but the freedom and the power of their view.
                                 Kat Cole’s Hotshot Rule (see below)

The #1 Driver of Valuation – Pricing Power
In addition to the quote above, Warren Buffett went on to note:

If you've got the power to raise prices without losing business to a competitor, you've got a very good business.

With inflation expected to slow temporarily and then remain high (5-6%) through 2030 according to economist Alan Beaulieu who shared the stage with me at the Chief Executive magazine Leadership Conference, having pricing power is a critical component of your business model for the next five years. Do you have pricing power?

Pricing Power – Hermann Simon
Also sharing the stage with me was Dr. Hermann Simon, the pricing guru and author of Beating Inflation (you’ve read it, I hope). The #1 key to having pricing power is to out-innovate your competition, creating a product or service that is the best for a particular niche. Are you the best at something badly needed by a niche group of customers/consumers? And he reminded us that you must clearly communicate how you’re best – which is why having a recognized brand in the niche is important. Reach out to me if one of our coaching partners can help you nail down what’s required to have pricing power – it’s critical!!

Voice of Customer is Key – Nov 14 Complimentary Learning Summit
Dr. Simon and others emphasized, as did I, that your innovations MUST align with what the customer wants. The “hidden champion” firms spend over twice as much time with clients than average firms – and they have more of their teams closer to and in direct contact with customers. To learn how to do this, Mark Roberts, voice of customer guru and author of a new book Driving Explosive Growth is one of our four 22-minute presenters/authors Nov 14, 11:14am – 12:53pm ET. Register you and your team to participate and/or get a recording.

Favorite ITR Economics Slide
Many of you have heard ITR Economics’ Alan Beaulieu or his brother speak – they are big on the Vistage, EO, YPO, and trade show circuits. My favorite slide of his presentation yesterday was this one showing what really determines bond yields – the height of the Federal Reserve Chair!! Of course, we should have predicted they would rise given current chair Jerome Powell’s height!

Current Interest Rates Are Good
We were reminded that today’s interest rates are historically normal – and these higher rates separate the great business leaders from the average. Welcome them!!

Athletic Greens’ Kat Cole – Hotshot Rule
Kat Cole, Athletic Greens’ President and regular speaker for Scaling Up, shared her “hotshot rule” with Fortune. Notes the article:

She imagines someone she admires in her shoes. It could be anyone—an athlete, a colleague, a family member. She thinks of the one thing they would do differently in her position.

It’s been such an effective exercise that she now does it weekly. Fortune goes on to note:

The person’s hypothetical action plan “comes to mind immediately,” Cole says. And Cole “take[s] action on it within 24 hours.” “I send the email, I book the flight, I make the call,” she says. Over 15 years, the “compounding effect” has been enormous. “Every week I put in motion one thing I would not otherwise have.” 

My Sock Puppet
I experienced something similar at our coaching summit last week. Maverick 1000 founder Yanik Silver had us think of the person we most admired and then make a sock puppet that looked like them (yes, he passed out clean white socks!). Mine was Steve Jobs, no surprise! Then we were to pose a serious question we’re wrestling with and ask our sock puppet what they would do – and wow, the answers that came to me were hugely insightful!

Napoleon Hill’s Imaginary Council
This AOM article details how Think and Grow Rich author Napoleon Hill did something similar using an imaginary council of 9 people -- Emerson, Paine, Edison, Darwin, Lincoln, Burbank, Napoleon, Ford, and Carnegie. It’s a powerful exercise! Who might you turn to for advice for a particular challenge or opportunity you’re facing? Try it!!

Scaling Up Virtual Master Class Dec 13 – 14 (6 hours total)
Review the fundamentals of Scaling Up and energize the team going into 2024. Four 90-minute sessions taught by author Verne Harnish – People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. Jump-start execution of these key tools/techniques. Register here.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Hong Kong / Beijing / Singapore – Nov 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Nashville, TN – Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Wellington, NZ – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad, India – Nov 15, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, NZ – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
London, UK – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Brussels, Belgium – Nov 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Perth, Australia – Nov 29. 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Wilmington, NC – Dec 8, 2023 (In-Person)
Columbus, OH – Jan 19, 2024 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Feb 28 & 29, 2024 (2 Days, In-Person)
Auckland, NZ – March 11, 2024 (In-Person)
Brisbane, Australia – May 1, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

COACHING:  
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This email newsletter may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Harvard’s Frei; New Book; Jocks vs. Nerds; Nov 14 Anne Morriss

Leadership is the practice of imperfect humans leading imperfect humans.
                                 Frances Frei & Anne Morriss, Move Fast & Fix Things

Your most important job right now is not to be good; it’s to make sure that the people around you have a shot at being great.
                                 Frances and Anne

Move Fast & Fix Things
Harvard strategy guru Dr. Frances Frei (who wrote my favorite strategy book Uncommon Service) and her partner Anne Morriss have a new book out this month entitled Move Fast & Fix Things: The Trusted Leader’s Guide to Solving Hard Problems. It has the best Table of Contents/structure I’ve ever seen, expected from the best strategy prof in the world!! Here it is – five clearly stated steps.

Premise/Analogy of Book
I love that Frances and Anne are emphasizing the need for speed! It’s something you see in every aspect of Elon Musk’s style (yes, I’m still plowing thru his tome – PLEASE read Isaacson’s biography, no matter what you think of Elon – a must for every biz leader!). Notes Frances and Anne:

Speed unleashes your organization’s energy and reveals where you’re going. Trust convinces your stakeholders to come along for the ride. Think about whatever you’re building as a plane taking off for a new destination: no one’s getting on board without confidence in the aircraft, and without enough speed, you’re not even getting airborne.

This book builds on Stephen M.R. Covey’s Speed of Trust with a practical style, approach, and stories. Did I say how much I love everything Frances and Anne say and write?

FIX – Fast, Iterative Excellence
Yep, FIX is an acronym in the title of the book – and the book has a requisite four-box model they call the FIX map. Clearly, you want to be operating in the “Accelerating Excellence” box. Their book provides the playbook for fixing things fast. Please scan thru the book this weekend.

Nov 14 Anne Morriss 22-minute Presentation
Co-author of Move Fast and Fix Things, Anne Morriss, is one of the four book authors presenting at our 99-minute virtual Scaling Up+ Learning event – no charge. 11:23am – 12:52pm ET, please signup to attend and receive a complimentary recording. Attend with your team and outlearn the competition – like reading four important 2023 books in 99-minutes.

1 in 3 Quitting Because Boss Isn’t Trained
This Fortune article notes research showing that 1 in 3 employees are quitting because their boss is untrained. Do you really have someone leading Training and Development on the team (per our FACe tool)? Do you have a company university in place? Our Growth Institute (www.growthinstitute.com) has a company university in a box for a few thousand a month – and includes a learning experience platform (LXP) that lets you load up your own courses. Email [email protected] for a demo.

Jocks Earn More Than Nerds
This Fortune article shares the results of a new study following the careers of 400,000 student-athletes and non-athletes and found the athletes earned $220,000 more than nerds over the lifetime of their careers. Just the fact it’s close, given the expectation that nerds would earn a lot more, is significant. It’s the soft skills of teamwork, persistence, learning to deal with failure, etc. that outweigh technical prowess which is being replaced with AI anyway!

Niacin Successfully Treats Schizophrenia and Fuels NAD
NAD is the latest supplement for anti-aging and boosting energy. Dr. Tom Levy, fellow board member of the Riordan Clinic, wrote this piece linking niacin to NAD production. In the article, he notes that Dr. Abram Hoffer treated over 5,000 schizophrenic patients with a niacin (Vitamin B3) protocol. No deaths ever resulted from the administration of niacin. Furthermore, consistent with the wide-ranging positive effects of niacin on NAD levels throughout the body described above, Hoffer noted improvements in many symptoms (fatigue, aging, etc.) not directly attributable to schizophrenia in his niacin-treated patients.

Scaling Up Virtual Master Class Dec 13 – 14 (6 hours total)
Review the fundamentals of Scaling Up and energize the team going into 2024. Four 90-minute sessions taught by author Verne Harnish – People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. Jump start execution of these key tools/techniques. Register here.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

COACHING:  
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Denver, CO - Oct 30, 2023 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Oct 31, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Hong Kong / Beijing / Singapore – Nov 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Nashville, TN – Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Wellington, NZ – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad, India – Nov 15, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, NZ – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
London, UK – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Brussels, Belgium – Nov 22, 2023 (Virtual)
Perth, Australia – Nov 29. 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Columbus, OH – Jan 19, 2024 (In-Person)
Auckland, NZ – March 11, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This email newsletter may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Feeney Dies; AI Factor; Unit of 1; Oct 18 CC

Be Pro No
                                 Halli Benson, Life Coach

It’s much more fun to give while you are alive than to give when you are dead.
                                 Chuck Feeney

The AI Factor Author – Asha Saxena Nov 14 -- Free
Founder & CEO of WLDA, Columbia University Professor, & Best-Selling Author of 2023 The AI Factor: How to Apply Artificial Intelligence and Use Big Data to Grow Your Business Exponentially, Asha Saxena is keynoting our Nov 14 virtual Scaling Up+ Summit. Having built several successful technology companies over the past 30 years, she brings a practical approach to how mid-market firms can immediately apply AI as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Columbia Business School. For more info on Asha and the other three speakers keynoting our 99-minute virtual Summit, go to this link to register and receive a recording post the Summit.

What is Your Economic Unit of One?
Keynoting EO chapters in India and Bangladesh this week, I resurrected a concept that is key to a focused strategy: What is your economic unit of one? Your answer determines your profit/x and provides the unit measure of an effective BHAG. Examples:

• Chick-fil-A – they obsess on one thing, “profit per store” with all corporate teams aligned to deliver on this focus. The right BHAG is the number of stores.
• Southwest Airlines – it’s not the customer or seat mile but maximizing the “profit per plane” for which all their differentiating activities align. Their BHAG is number of planes.
• Loblaws – this Canadian supermarket chain focuses on maximizing the “profit per city” (rather than sq meter of store space) even if it means siphoning profit from some of their other stores. Their BHAG is number of cities.
• Walgreens – “profit per customer visit” keeps them focused on the right impulse purchases displayed near the checkout counter. Their BHAG is number of customer visits.

What is your unique view of your industry? What different “profit per X” defines your economic unit of one? Nail this and it creates a rallying cry and focal point for all efforts in the firm.

Job to be Done – MBA Schools
…and what is the “job to be done” by or for that economic unit of one? In Jaipur, one of the EO members owns a group of MBA schools. When I asked what’s the job to be done, he noted “to land for the student the right first job that propels their career!” Much different than “mint MBAs”; this focus sets up a set of deliverables that is very appealing to potential students. And it aligns with their economic unit of one, “profit per student” vs. “profit per school.” What is your job to be done for or by your economic unit of one? Knowing these two things provides critical clarity to your strategy and helps you know when to say no and where to focus (on the student)! Be a pro at saying no as Halli Benson suggests in her quote above.

Chuck Feeney (92) Passes Away
Subject of The Billionaire Who Wasn’t biography, Duty-Free Shoppers (DFS) co-founder Chuck Feeney passed away at 92, after giving his entire $8 billion fortune away while he was alive! Donated anonymously over the decades, later articles and his biography revealed he funded the end of the IRA war; supported critical infrastructure in Vietnam; spurred the modern university system in Ireland; founded research institutions in Australia; and became the “third founder” of Cornell, donating over a $1 billion to that institution. He also secretly supported and saved NFTE, a NYC board on which I served, during the Great Recession. This 15-minute video documentary details his accomplishments.

Three Frugal Decades
Selling his shares of DFS to LVMH in 1996, this CNN article notes:

Feeney chose to live the last three decades of his life frugally, his foundation said: He did not own a car or home, preferring to live in a rented apartment in San Francisco, according to the foundation.

Not weighed down by possessions, he was free to travel the world (in economy class) and enjoy the impact of his wealth. What a beautiful life, Chuck! You were my inspiration for creating the One-Page Personal Plan (OPPP). You’ve almost convinced me to sell my home in Boulder!

Conscious Capitalism with Growth Institute – Oct. 18, 11am ET
Many businesses remain trapped in the cycle of pursuing short-term gains – often to their detriment. The trailblazers approach things ethically and sustainably, making a positive impact on the world while still turning a profit. The Growth Institute invites you to join Timothy Henry from Conscious Capitalism as he discusses how forward-thinking businesses are putting humanity at the forefront, benefiting not just their bottom line but the community, environment, and all stakeholders. Dive deeper into this approach on Wednesday, October 18th @ 11 AM ET. Elevate your business ethos while driving growth. Register here: https://hubs.li/Q024-_V00

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

COACHING:  
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Dallas, TX – Oct 25, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Oct 26, 2023 (Virtual)
Denver, CO - Oct 30, 2023 (Virtual)
Barcelona, Spain – Oct 31, 2023 (In-Person)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Hong Kong / Beijing / Singapore – Nov 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Nashville, TN – Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Wellington, NZ – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad, India – Nov 15, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, NZ – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
London, UK – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Perth, Australia – Nov 29. 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, NZ – March 11, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This email newsletter may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

AI Econ Sucks; 4 Books; 100,000x; Oct 24 Goldsmith

What got you here won’t get you there…you can’t stop learning!
                                 Marshall Goldsmith

Market transformations aren’t created with economics that are 10x better. They’re created when they’re 10,000x better.
                                 Martin Casado, a16z general partner

Four Top Book Authors in 99 Minutes – Nov 14, Register Free
Our semi-annual gift of learning (outlearn the competition) is an opportunity to gather your team and register for our virtual Scaling Up Summit+ Nov 14, 11:14am – 12:53pm ET. Featuring four top biz authors with new 2023 books, presenting for 22 minutes each -- no fluff, all substance. And those who register also get the recording and professionally taken notes. For more info on the four authors and registration. Leaders are readers, leaders are learners.

Why the Economics of AI Sucked – VC Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
AI this and AI that, it’s all we’re reading. However, please take 15 min to watch this a16z video. In short, the economics of AI, to date, has been terrible -- $75 billion spent on drivable cars with not much to show, for instance. However, the economics of generative AI is magnitudes different. This is critical to understand, and this video describes how and why the economics are radically different this time around!

100,000x Cheaper, 3600x Faster
10x is for wimps! From legal to graphics to pure creation, a16z general partner Martin Casado, in the video above (at minute 6:23), demonstrates how generative AI is multi-magnitudes cheaper and faster. This third epoch of computing will transform all our markets like computers and the internet did earlier. The difference? This is the first technology that can create on its own. Harness it for your industry. NOTE: one of our four presentations Nov 14 is by the author of a 2023 practical biz book on AI.

10x Cheaper – Mad as Heck!!
I’m still plowing thru Walter Isaacson’s epic Elon Musk biography – and learning so much! What’s amazing is how he’s challenged every assumption, regulation, and cost – and demonstrated how space travel can be accomplished for 1/10^th to 1/30^th the cost. He’s exposed the massive waste that exists when governments, in collusion with big biz, monopolize an industry. With healthcare, education, and military costs breaking our backs, we should all be mad as heck, wasting up to 90% of our taxpayer dollars. Read Elon’s biography and then follow his formula for finding ways to dramatically reduce the costs in your industry (with the help of AI).

EO History
I had the pleasure of joining Mo Fathelbab for the premiere episode of his podcast "The Heart of Business." A former entrepreneurship student of mine at the U of MD, I hired Mo to be my sidekick in scaling up EO (called YEO back then). He later became the Executive Director who scaled EO from 150 to 1500 members, EO’s 10x jump! We share stories I’ve rarely shared elsewhere!!

India #4
I’m on a six-city EO Chapter tour in India -- Gurgaon, Jaipur, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Dhaka (Bangladesh). Expected to be the largest economy in the world, this Business Standard article notes that India is number four in the world of start-ups which receive over $50 million in funding – the next unicorns, hopefully.

Top CEO Coach Marshall Goldsmith’s Course -- Oct 24 Start
Last week, I wrote about Tesla and how they leverage the power of design in their products and strategy to shape emotional connections. Leadership, much like design, is about crafting those same connections, but within teams and corporate cultures. This philosophy is at the heart of the Growth Institute's newest and premier course, "Developing Yourself and Others," led by Marshall Goldsmith, the world's top thought leader in leadership. The class starts on October 24, 2023. And as of writing this, only 23 seats remain. Click on the following link to learn more about the course: https://hubs.ly/Q0248jHk0

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Nottingham, UK – Oct 9, 10 & 11, 2023 (3 Day Workshop - In Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Madrid, Spain – Oct 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Brussels, Belgium – Oct 17, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Oct 25, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Oct 26, 2023 (Virtual)
Denver, CO - Oct 30, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Hong Kong / Beijing / Singapore – Nov 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Nashville, TN – Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Wellington, NZ – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad, India – Nov 15, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, NZ – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
London, UK – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Perth, Australia – Nov 29. 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, NZ – March 11, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

COACHING:  
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Power of Handles; Alondra’s Music; Jobs’ Seat; Dec 5 - 8

Stop fighting me on this!
                                 Elon Musk re: Tesla door handles

Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers.
                                 Steve Jobs re: Mac’s handle

CEO Boot Camps -- Canary Islands and The Keys, FL
Join me for some fun in the sun – and 3 intense days and nights of designing a highly valuable business. We just hosted L Catterton ($40 billion fund); one of their $300+ million portfolio firms; a $400 million compounding pharmacy; an Aussie with a chain of gyms; a structural architectural concrete firm; an IT firm providing Amazon-like e-commerce services for B2B firms; etc. in Lake Tahoe. If you have a growth mindset, no matter the size firm, please join me for two newly listed CEO Boot Camps in Marathon, FL Dec 5 –and the Canary Islands Jan 9 – 12.

Tesla and Apple – Role of Design 
I continue to enjoy Elon Musk’s biography by Walter Isaacson – I hope you read and absorb all the lessons, good and bad! Today I’m reading about the importance of design. Notes Isaacson, commenting on the role of design as articulated by Steve Jobs and chief designer Jony Ive:

…design is not just about aesthetics; true industrial design must connect the looks of a product to its engineering. “In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer,” Jobs once explained. “Nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers.”

Tesla and Apple – Recessed Handles
Isaacson continues:

When Jony Ive conceived the candy-colored, friendly iMac in 1998, he included a recessed handle. It was not very functional, because the iMac was a desktop computer that was not meant to be carried around. But it sent a signal of friendliness. “If there’s this handle on it, it makes a relationship possible,” Ive explained. “It’s approachable. It gives you permission to touch.”

Likewise, Tesla designer von Holzhausen sketched a way to do door handles that were flush with the car and popped out and lit up like a happy handshake when the driver approached with a key. It did not add any great functionality. A regular extruding door handle would work just as well. But Musk immediately embraced the idea. It would send a chirpy signal of friendliness. “The handle senses your approach, lights up, pops out to greet you, and it’s magical,” he says.

Engineers and Production Fought Musk
Yet, as Isaacson notes:

The engineers and production teams fought the idea. There was little space inside the door for the mechanisms, which would have to work thousands of times in various weather conditions. One of the engineers flung back at Musk one of his favorite words: “stupid.”

But Musk persisted. “Stop fighting me on this,” he ordered. It ended up being a signature feature of the cars, one that sealed an emotional bond with the owner. Where would thoughtful design of proposals, invoices, products, and services provide a signature feature that seals an emotional bond with your customers?

Provoking, Iconic, Covetable Design -- Keilhauer
Steve Jobs sat in one; Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Barack Obama sat in one; as does Steve Kearley, co-founder of the EO Plus chapter (members over $20 million in revenue) of EO Toronto. This Azure magazine article details how the Keilhauer brothers have scaled one of the most recognized office furniture designers in the world. I keynoted Kearley’s EO Plus Chapter meeting a few weeks ago (topic: Pricing and Compensation) and met the other co-founder of the chapter Steve Keilhauer who shared photos of well-known people enjoying his furniture designs including the late Steve Jobs. Keilhauer’s Canadian-made chairs also adorn the US White House’s situation room. Seems critical decisions are best made in a Keilhauer!

Designing Strategy
Referencing McKinsey’s latest podcast on the role of a Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Fortune 500 firms, the CEO of mid-market firms is the default CSO. Like Musk and Jobs, as CEO you’re the Strategist (vs. the egotistical “visionary” term). This is where a Scaling Up Coach is critical as you prepare your strategy for the 4^th qtr. and 2024. This 1-minute video by Kevin O’Connor who helped scale a firm to its exit at 14x earnings details how you can leverage a coach to support your leadership team with strategy.

Leadership Design Personified -- Alondra de la Parra
This 1-minute video personifies design, passion, imagination, and energy – and the role an orchestrator (vs. stale “integrator”) plays in assembling an A-Player team and designing beautiful music in a beautiful way. Alondra de la Parra is one of 8 women conductors listed among the 100 top conductors who connect orchestras and audiences in a unique way. For an additional 10 minutes of her magic, watch her orchestrate Bolero. And for an inspiring portrait of her life, enjoy this 52-minute documentary. This is what great leadership looks and feels like! Thank you to Mitchel Faulkes, Décor Systems in Australia, for turning me on to her.

Strategist and Orchestrator
Pairing a Strategist with an Orchestrator is a powerful combination!! Score a beautiful sheet of music then orchestrate it’s delivery to the world.

Order a box of 20 Scaling Up and Mastering the Rockefeller Habits books
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Get the box of 20 Scaling Up books here and the box of 20 MRH books here for less!

Planning to Exit – Critical Whitepaper
Selling your firm, for its maximum value, is the most important negotiation in which a business owner will participate. You are typically negotiating with sophisticated buyers who have done hundreds of acquisitions whereas this is often your first rodeo. And these buyers have a formula for ripping you off – and it works, stealing tens of millions from you. Seeking help, owners discover the big M&A firms, especially those specializing in your industry, are more beholden to the buyers than the sellers (they will tell you otherwise). Email me to get a whitepaper on how to maximize your valuation and avoid the psychological games buyers play [email protected].

SCALING UP WORKSHOPS:
Engage your team with interactive workshops to optimize your company’s performance.
(list of workshops below)

Brisbane, Australia – Oct 4, 2023 (In-Person)
Nottingham, UK – Oct 9, 10 & 11, 2023 (3 Day Workshop - In Person)
Toronto, Canada - Oct 12, 2023 (Virtual)
Madrid, Spain – Oct 16, 2023 (Virtual)
Brussels, Belgium – Oct 17, 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Oct 25, 2023 (In-Person)
Nashville, TN – Oct 26, 2023 (Virtual)
Denver, CO - Oct 30, 2023 (Virtual)
Sydney, Australia – Nov 2, 2023 (In-Person)
Hong Kong / Beijing / Singapore – Nov 8, 2023 (Virtual)
Nashville, TN – Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Wellington, NZ – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Nov 9, 2023 (Virtual)
Grand Rapids, MI – Nov 9, 2023 (In-Person)
Melbourne, Australia - Nov 14, 2023 (In-Person)
Bengaluru / Hyderabad, India – Nov 15, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, NZ – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
London, UK – Nov 16, 2023 (In-Person)
Perth, Australia – Nov 29. 2023 (In-Person)
Dallas, TX – Dec 6, 2023 (In-Person)
Toronto, Canada - Dec 7, 2023 (Virtual)
Auckland, NZ – March 11, 2024 (In-Person)
Christchurch, NZ – May 30, 2024 (In-Person)

Better Book Club –
What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.

TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up Scoreboard Integrated with Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier (allowing it to connect with 1000s of systems), use Scoreboard to provide your team (working remotely even more important!) a real-time visual dashboard of cascading priorities and metrics. Get a personalized tour of Scaling Up Scoreboard to see how you can use it to better implement Scaling Up in your business.

EDUCATION: 
Growth Institute Online Executive Education:
Master of Business Dynamics
Scaling Up Master Business Course
Exponential Organizations Master Business Course
Topgrading Master Business Course

COACHING:  
Does it feel as if your business has hit a wall? If you don't see a clear path forward, it's a good time to bring in a coach.  All of our Scaling Up Certified Coaches™ are masters at guiding you and your leadership team through the implementation of the Scaling Up Performance. Our promise is a custom diagnostic approach from Day 1, including how we match you with a coach. We even have a team member dedicated to helping you find the perfect Scaling Up Certified Coach.™ Schedule a complimentary, personal follow-up. Or check out our FAQs. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]

Have you considered becoming a Certified Scaling Up Coach?
Learn more about what it takes to certify and what being a coach is like. Pop into our Coach Office Hours to talk with our coach certification coordinator and a certified Scaling Up Coach. Learn More & Register for Office Hours here >

Did you miss previous insights? - read here

Follow Verne on Instagram: @scalingup2.0

Connect with Verne on LinkedIn: Verne Harnish

Follow Verne on Twitter: @agilescaleup

Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI

Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights  

*This email newsletter may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.