Best Question; Next Growth Frontier; Bezos's 12 Questions; Last Question

"...keeping you great"

HEADLINES:

Two Key Questions -- I have two more Fortune columns to write and could use some examples: 1) What myths about business have you encountered; and 2) What are some things you've stopped doing (below are some examples - have any of you pursued any of these or others)? If so, just send a short email saying "yes" and what topic and we'll call and interview you:

Stopped paying attention to the economic news and asked, instead, your most important clients what their forecasts are for 2011 to plan for 2012 (something I suggested a few weeks ago). Stopped selling 80% of your products and services and focused on the best 20% (same with customers). Stopped doing email, having an assistant handle 90% of your emails instead. Stopped a contentious relationship (employee, customer, partner) that has drained your emotional energy. Stopped eating alone i.e. made it a point to strengthen relationships and meet more people face-to-face

Unemployment 5.1% -- there's no shortage of jobs in Australia with their announced 5.1% unemployment this week. And Australia is the first country in 2010, in which I've taught, where my audience of growth company executives chose "people" as the number one challenge for their business (it was great to see Pat Cannon in my audience, who recently moved from the U.S. to Australia where he took an executive position with PPG). Attracting and retaining talent is back front-and-center down under. BTW, on Tuesday, Julia Gillard was sworn in as Australia's first female prime minister. And with the announcement of Oprah's visit, it's been a fun week to be touring Australia.

Best Question -- Craig Hodges, Managing Director of Australia-based King Content, suggested the best business question I've heard in 2010 -- "What's The Brown Paper Bag in Your Business?" As the story goes, Craig was in NYC and managed to garner a dinner reservation at the famous Gramercy Tavern. One thing led to another and he ended up closing the place down, enjoying beers with the staff (what Aussie's do best!). As he was leaving, the staff handed him a brown paper bag and said it was a little something for breakfast the next morning. He started to look inside, but was instructed to keep it closed until the sun came up.

Delight Inside -- when Hodges was ready for breakfast the next morning, he found inside the properly sealed bag a freshly baked muffin, muesli, and an orange juice - a welcomed delight. It was then that he wondered "what was the brown paper bag-equivalent in his business?" He wondered how his business could generate the same word-of-mouth promotion he's given Gramercy Tavern as a result of something so simple, yet memorable?

12 CEOs and Companies Leveraging Web Video -- the list includes Gazelles 200 founding member BuildDirect.com that has posted hundreds of "how to" videos. Web video is one type of "brown bag" worthy of attention - just ask BlendTek and their "Will it Blend" series with over 130 million views. Here's a link to the 12 examples - watch during your next marketing meeting and decide to create a video or two for your company.

Africa Next Growth Frontier -- excellent article in the NY Times today on IBM's huge infrastructure contract in Africa and why Sam Palmisano, CEO of IBM, flew to Africa for the announcement - they see Africa as the next growth frontier. Notes the article "mobile phones in developing regions like Africa are used not only for talking and texting, but for many other day-to-day activities like banking....only 23 percent of Africans have access to banking services, but already 8 million Africans use their cell phones for payments."

Amazon Founder's 12 Questions -- take three minutes to read Jeff Bezos's commencement address delivered at Princeton University. The best line in the speech is from his father "Jeff, one day you'll understand that it's harder to be kind than clever." It's worth reading to your children this weekend, as Bezos explains what led to him launching Amazon and some key lessons learned. And at the end he poses 12 questions to the Princeton graduates - excellent questions for all of us.

Last Question -- are you, as a leader, growing faster than your company? Join us at our upcoming Fortune Growth Summit, Oct 19 - 20, Orlando. Faculty include David Sokol (Buffett's "Mr. Fixit"), Chip Heath, Liz Wiseman, John Warrillow, David Meerman Scott, Rich Russakoff, Mo Fathelbab, and Verne Harnish.