The Agile Scaleup

Elon's No; Ferriss's Yes; Mastering Leadership; Driving Customers; Feb 1 Webinar

"...insights for scaleups"


HEADLINES:

This book is a testimony that love and power and clear purpose can co-exist.
	Peter Block on Mastering Leadership

Raise Industry Visibility  -- member of a trade association? Want to earn some kudos? Rockefeller Habits practitioner? Consider recommending me to keynote your industry's annual convention and highlight your firm from the stage. I'm usually the #1 rated keynote, particularly in the opening or closing spot. Here's info you can share with the trade association leadership. Thank you.

If not "Hell Yeah" then No -- this 1-minute Tim Ferriss video emphasizes the importance of focusing on only the most important decisions.

Elon Musk's "No" to Customers -- and this Inc. article highlights how Elon understands the importance of NOT doing everything customers want and sticking to your strategy. As a result, you may want to lease vs. buy a Tesla. This 1-minute article will explain.

Mastering Leadership -- this is the title of the most powerful and practical unified theory on leadership that exists. Subtitled An Integrated Framework for Breakthrough Performance and Extraordinary Business Results, co-authors Robert Anderson and William Adams have written a treatise on leadership - don't expect it to be easy reading. GPro and book club members will receive the book next week. Then join 1000+ CEOs and leaders of growth firms in San Antonio May 23 - 24 to hear Robert and William keynote our ScaleUp Summit.

Taking Stock -- if you're willing to be challenged, go right to "Chapter 13: Unity: Journey's End, Development Turned Upside Down" and read through this short and final chapter - or just go to the end of the chapter and read the four bullet points under "Taking Stock." I'm personally wrestling with bullet point 2:

To what are you attached, that if you let go of, would set you free?

And bullet #4:

Have you ever been introduced to the "you" that pre-dates you, that wants for nothing, that has nothing to lose, and that does not need development and never did?

In the end, leadership is an "inside" job - and their comprehensive assessment process will undercover your constraints and provide a development plan for becoming a great leader.

Leader "Literally" Driving Customers (Scaling Up Case Study) -- Heath Phillips of the Barracks Townhomes in College Station, Texas, came up with a unique solution for gathering customer insights: He signed up to be a driver with a popular ride-sharing service and started driving for his clients to engage in conversations about his company. Notes Heath in this SmallBizDaily article that his Gazelles coach Rob Simons wrote:

As my company has grown I have been forced to continuously withdraw myself from the buyer and resident interaction." That realization ultimately led Heath to "envision what it would look like for the CEO of a company to try and get candid and legitimate feedback from customers.

Take 2 minutes to read some of the surprising things Heath has learned from his customers and whether or not he reveals who he is (and whether he charges them for the ride!).

Funniest Culture Video -- 2 minutes of pure satire on Aspen Heights' core values and culture - enjoy.

Salim's ExO Webinar #2 Feb 1 -- The last webinar was so popular, with time running out on Q&A, that Salim Ismail is hosting a Part 2 webinar next Wednesday. It's important to note that Uber, Airbnb, and Amazon are no longer the only disruptive companies in their industry. Almost every industry has at least one disruptive company making big changes. And all the rest are falling behind.

Next week Salim Ismail, the expert on exponential growth, is going to host a second LIVE Webinar to share the 4 essential steps you need to prepare your leadership team to pursue these disruptions. Join Salim Ismail Wednesday, February 1st for this Live Webinar that will help you accelerate your business. This webinar has limited seating please reserve your spot here.

EXITING: Thinking about selling the business for $40 million or more? Want to get 25% to 200% more than you thought? Request the whitepaper from the Exit Strategies Summit at Harvard from Denise Richmond at (610) 299-6466 or email at [email protected]

COACHING:

Have you ever wondered if working with a coach might accelerate your company's growth, exponentially? Do you have what it takes to move the dial from good to great? Click here to watch Gazelles International President Keith Cupp describes the four most important attributes of successful clients. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.

And if you're interested in becoming a world-class certified Gazelles International coach, please go to gicoaches.com/becomeacoach for more information. If you determine that we're a fit and wish to join our premier organization, we invite you to contact our Dir. of Coach Engagement at [email protected] or 877.217.2253 ext.700.

TECHNOLOGY:

Align Software puts everyone on the Same Page - Literally! See, in real time every person in your organization and how they are progressing on their priorities - alongside how they Align to the Company Priorities! Scale Up your Rockefeller Habits implementation with www.alignwithgazelles.com - on your computer and on your phone.

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.

Airbnb's Soul; 10 Great Logos; Tim Ferriss's 3 Tips; CEO Boot Camp #2

"...insights for agile scaleups"

HEADLINES:

This program provides one of the best platforms to access the minds of great entrepreneurs (and Verne) to help identify and explore ways to solve the constraints in both my industry and company.
	Steve Hall, CEO Boot Camp participant

Next CEO Boot Camp  -- the first, held last week, scored a 9.8 out of 10 - the next is March 7 - 10 for ten CEOs. More details below, but first...

Airbnb Finds its Soul -- do "unicorns" do all this purpose stuff? Fortune's Leigh Gallagher has an upcoming book titled The Airbnb Story (out Feb 14). Notes this excerpt in Fortune:

Sometime in 2013, Airbnb started thinking about reorienting its entire mission and center of gravity to better articulate the elements that made using its platform so unique. Douglas Atkin, the company's new global head of community, began by posing the questions, "Why does Airbnb exist? What's its purpose? What's its role in the world?" The answers to those questions, as Atkin puts it, would become "the rudder that guides the whole ship."

Airbnb Tagline/Logo -- Answering these questions (above) led to its tagline "belong anywhere" and its new logo/symbol. Take 2 minutes to watch the video and then scan the extensive excerpt to see the four things the new logo represents and how they arrived at their purpose (and initially didn't like). They wrestled with this decision like all entrepreneurs - but when they got it right it drives lots of decisions and the culture of the company.

Tim Ferriss's 3 Branding/Marketing Tips -- 4-hour guru Tim Ferriss does what Ferriss does best - get to the essence of something quickly. The three:

1. Own a category
2. Don't make a product for "everyone"
3. Forget "branding"

Take 30 seconds to read the details in this Fortune article.

Need a New Logo? -- do you have your own Nike-like "swish"? The iconic S-curve is ours. Fortune's 10 "Breakthrough Brands" in 2016 all have distinct logos. Take 1 minute to scan down through the list and then head to the drawing board.

Leaders are Readers -- the US swears-in a new President tomorrow. With the changing of guard (generally peaceful ☺), lots of stories are reflecting on President Obama's term. Notes this NY Times article:

Not since Lincoln has there been a president as fundamentally shaped - in his life, convictions and outlook on the world - by reading and writing as Barack Obama.

Even some good science fiction was helpful to Obama. One of my insight readers suggested some "speculative fiction" and I immensely enjoyed Ready Player One over the holidays. Take 3 minutes to scan down through the article to pick up some excellent book recommendations.

CEO Boot Camp #2 -- given the enthusiastic evaluations by the first 10 CEOs (half over $80 million, half under) we're hosting a second Boot Camp March 7 - 10 at the beautiful Marathon Retreat in Marathon, Florida (two hours south of Miami in the Keys). Four of the seats are already spoken for, so six remaining. Notes Jennifer Lyle, CEO of STS Healthcare:

Thank you so much for this experience. I have come back feeling excited and empowered with a clear game plan for 2017. Working one on one with you (Verne) was a highlight as were John's (Ratliff) stories. The content was presented in such a way that it really became actionable.

Arriving Tuesday evening March 7 (6:00pm) for cocktails, dinner, and opening session (CEOs went deep fast) the program is structured each day Wednesday - Friday:

9am - 1:30pm - Structured content and guided discussions 2:30pm - 5:30pm - One-on-One's with Verne - along with think and sun/activity time 6:00pm - Cocktails then dinner 8pm - ? - In and around hot tub where the real problems are solved!

CEOs can depart Friday afternoon or stay the entire weekend to further decompress for no additional charge ($7500 all-inclusive of food and accommodations). Concluded Tom Bemiller, CEO The Aureus Group:

It was the best education experience I've ever had.

Email Tanya Fraser if interested [email protected].

Executive and Forum Retreats -- looking for a 9 bedroom plus loft venue on the water in the Florida Keys with multiple pools, meeting spaces, board room, fully stocked bar, hot tub, etc. for your next forum or executive retreat then consider Marathon Retreat owned by YPOer John Ratliff. His place is designed specifically for these kinds of retreats and has six bedrooms plus a loft. I bought the place next door on the lake (200 ft. dock) with three additional in suite bedrooms.

EXITING: Thinking about selling the business for $40 million or more? Want to get 25% to 200% more than you thought? Request the whitepaper from the Exit Strategies Summit at Harvard from Denise Richmond at (610) 299-6466 or email at [email protected]

TECHNOLOGY:

Align Software puts everyone on the Same Page - Literally! See, in real time every person in your organization and how they are progressing on their priorities - alongside how they Align to the Company Priorities! Scale Up your Rockefeller Habits implementation with www.alignwithgazelles.com - on your computer and on your phone.

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.

COACHING:

Have you ever wondered if working with a coach might accelerate your company's growth, exponentially? Do you have what it takes to move the dial from good to great? Click here to watch Gazelles International President Keith Cupp describes the four most important attributes of successful clients. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.

And if you're interested in becoming a world-class certified Gazelles International coach, please go to gicoaches.com/becomeacoach for more information. If you determine that we're a fit and wish to join our premier organization, we invite you to contact our Dir. of Coach Engagement at [email protected] or 877.217.2253 ext.700.

Father of Influence; Boomerangs; Living RICH; Feb 24 Social Sector

"...insights for agile scaleups"

HEADLINES:

No psychologist's research has been used more often or successfully than that of Robert Cialdini, who literally "wrote the book" on influence. Now, he's done it again, showing us the power of the moment before an attempt to persuade. This is classic Cialdini -- authoritative, original, and immediately practical.
	Richard H. Thaler, University of Chicago

Social Sector Organization?  -- we're hosting our next Scaling Up workshop exclusively for non-profits Feb 24th in Phoenix (North Carolina Chamber of Commerce named #1 in US using our tools and coaching). More below, but first...

Hard to Influence...if no one is there! We use LiveAdmins to welcome our website guests. More below, but second...

Father of Influence -- for the first time in a decade Robert Cialdini, the author of the epic classic Influence, has advanced the field with his new book Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade. He's discovered that the best persuaders do something just prior to trying to persuade that dramatically increases their effectiveness. It's subtle, but if you master then you win big. His opening story about the home alarm sales person who does one thing consistently to build trust before trying to persuade is a classic example. Read this book cover to cover - then read it again. GPro and book club members will receive a copy next week.

Cialdini Opening Keynote -- read his book and/or come hear him live! We're excited that Robert Cialdini, one of the world's top thought leaders, is our opening keynote for the upcoming ScaleUp Summit in San Antonio May 23 - 24, followed by another one-day Scaling Up User Conference. Join 1000+ CEOs and leaders of growing firms focused on out-learning their competition - and sharing best practices in implementing the Rockefeller Habits 2.0. FYI, you can still receive Priority Seating and an invitation to the Private Speaker Lunch if you register by next Friday Jan 20. Space is limited and with just a deposit of $250/seat you'll be guaranteed seating in the front-third of the room (equivalent of "orchestra" seating). You and your team will also receive an invitation to join the "father of influence" Robert Cialdini plus other speakers for a private lunch on Tuesday.

"Boomerangs" Lend Influence -- this is the label for baby boomers who retire and then go back to work for their same firm part-time - maybe just a day a week (giving them a six-day weekend!). Notes this NY Times article:

Perhaps most important, management realizes that the biggest value of boomerangs lies in teaching the formal and informal ropes of the business to newer generations of workers. "New talent needs to be mentored as they come in the door," Ms. Ramsay said. "Previous employees mentor incoming employees."

Maybe this is an option for your firm and a way to extend the institutional knowledge that is often lost when employees retire.

Living R.I.C.H -- last week I highlighted how the Dallas Cowboys football team credits their success this season to the impact of their "player creed." Dina Dwyer-Owens of Undercover Boss fame (and past Summit keynote) has similarly guided her global organization to $1.4 billion by leading with a set of core values. The Dwyer Group, a collection of 2,700 franchise owners spanning 14 service brands and 11 countries, lives by a credo "Living R.I.C.H." which serves as an acronym for their four core values. This Inc. article highlights the 6 keys to using core values effectively to influence performance. Note's Dina: 

Great leaders don't use rules as a means to keep people down. Instead, they look at values as principles that are meant to lift people up.

Please take 2 minutes to scan down through the 6 keys including a link to her "Create Your Culture Workbook."

Social Sector Workshop -- do you work with a non-profit trying to scaleup? Hundreds of non-profits successfully use our Rockefeller Habits 2.0 tools to scaleup their organizations and make them easier to lead and manager - like the North Carolina Chamber I highlighted last week. We have made an effort to modify our tools to fit the social sector and are hosting our 3rd social sector workshop on February 24th in Phoenix.

Are Your Online Customers Walking Away? -- Your website is like a shop. If there are no sales people to help your online customers, they will walk away to a competitor. LiveAdmins helps businesses proactively greet online customers and engage them in conversation. The multilingual chat services offered by LiveAdmins are provided round the clock, ensuring needs of all visitors are taken care of. LiveAdmins has helped companies across all industries significantly increase sales and enhance visitor experience for over a decade like they have Gazelles. For more info.

EXITING: Thinking about selling the business for $40 million or more? Want to get 25% to 200% more than you thought? Request the whitepaper from the Exit Strategies Summit at Harvard from Denise Richmond at (610) 299-6466 or email at [email protected]

COACHING:

Have you ever wondered if working with a coach might accelerate your company's growth, exponentially? Do you have what it takes to move the dial from good to great? Click here to watch Gazelles International President Keith Cupp describes the four most important attributes of successful clients. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.

And if you're interested in becoming a world-class certified Gazelles International coach, please go to gicoaches.com/becomeacoach for more information. If you determine that we're a fit and wish to join our premier organization, we invite you to contact our Dir. of Coach Engagement at [email protected] or 877.217.2253 ext.700.

TECHNOLOGY:

Align Software puts everyone on the Same Page - Literally! See, in real time every person in your organization and how they are progressing on their priorities - alongside how they Align to the Company Priorities! Scale Up your Rockefeller Habits implementation with www.alignwithgazelles.com - on your computer and on your phone.

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.

Zuckerberg’s Priority; Cowboy’s Creed; #1 Chamber; Jan 11 Webinar

"...insights for agile scaleups"

HEADLINES:

PLEASE NOTE: Gazelles HQ has moved to Florida - however, PLEASE don't mail us anything - we're totally virtual with no place to put stuff. ☺

Live Webinar Wed Jan 11 -- want to 10x your growth? Exponential Organizations author Salim Ismail is hosting a free webinar next Wed at 12pm ET - more info below.

Zuckerberg's 2017 Priority -- each year Facebook's founder chooses a personal development goal and this year it focuses on raising his understanding of his customers - something all of us must continue to do. Here is an excerpt from his Facebook post this week:

Every year I take on a personal challenge to learn new things and grow outside of my work. In recent years, I've run 365 miles, built a simple AI for my home, read 25books and learned Mandarin. My personal challenge for 2017 is to have visited and met people in every state in the US by the end of the year. After a tumultuous last year, my hope for this challenge is to get out and talk to more people about how they're living, working and thinking about the future. Going into this challenge, it seems we are at a turning point in history. For decades, technology and globalization have made us more productive and connected. This has created many benefits, but for a lot of people it has also made life more challenging. This has contributed to a greater sense of division than I have felt in my lifetime. We need to find a way to change the game so it works for everyone. My work is about connecting the world and giving everyone a voice. I want to personally hear more of those voices this year. It will help me lead the work at Facebook and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative so we can make the most positive impact as the world enters an important new period.

For the complete posting go to this link.

What is your personal growth challenge for 2017? Our One-Page Personal Plan (OPPP) can help you outline your personal goals - get a copy along with the instructions for filling out at www.scalingup.com - all complimentary.

Players Creed Key to Cowboy's Success? -- with the second best record in the National Football League, the Dallas Cowboys are crediting a new "players creed" crafted by a select group of teammates. Notes this SportsDay article:

Twenty-one sentences, 174 words are printed on a navy blue board that stands about 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It is removed, shipped over to AT&T Stadium and secured to the wall inside the Cowboys' locker room during home games.

The equivalent of core values, as the Cowboys describe the creed, they keep them secret, not allowing them to be printed in the media or photos taken. And to seal the deal, every player on the roster signed and placed their fingerprint on the creed. Please take 2 minutes to read. about how the creed was created and the impact it's having on the team - proving once again that a strong culture driven by a set of core values is important. Thanks to Erik Darmstetter, CEO of Office Furniture Liquidations of San Antonio, for sharing this story.

75-Year-Old Non-Profit Soars (Gazelles case study) -- my latest Huffington Post article highlights how The North Carolina Chamber turned around its finances and focus-and tripled its revenue without adding staff. Using the One-Page Strategic Plan and engaging the services of Gazelles Certified Coaching partner Jim Jubelirer,the chamber was just named in October the "State Chamber of the Year" Award from the national Council of State Chambers. Please take 2 minutes to read how the chamber also adopted the Topgrading method of hiring A-Players, updated their core values, and implemented the daily huddle to drive communication. Our Gazelles Social Initiative is focused on helping non-profits scaleup like for-profit firms. Let us know if we can help.

Scaling Up 2nd Best Selling Book in Spanish -- according to Amazon Scaling Up was #2 of the Top 10 books printed in Spanish in 2016, just behind the latest Harry Potter book. This El Economista article highlights the complete Top 10 list. Thanks to Daniel Marcos, our marketing partner in Latin America, for helping to drive these amazing results. And it proves how hungry for growth the firms are in this region of the world.

10X Your Company Webinar -- There are 10 attributes of organizations growing exponentially. Next week Salim Ismail, the expert on exponential growth, is going to host a LIVE Webinar to share these attributes with you and your team so you can 10x your business model for 2017. Join Salim Ismail Wednesday, January 11th for this Live Webinar that will help you 10x your growth strategy. This webinar has limited seating please reserve your spot here:

EXITING: Thinking about selling the business for $40 million or more? Want to get 25% to 200% more than you thought? Request the whitepaper from the Exit Strategies Summit at Harvard from Denise Richmond at (610) 299-6466 or email at [email protected]

COACHING:

Have you ever wondered if working with a coach might accelerate your company's growth, exponentially? Do you have what it takes to move the dial from good to great? Click here to watch Gazelles International President Keith Cupp describes the four most important attributes of successful clients. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.

And if you're interested in becoming a world-class certified Gazelles International coach, please go to gicoaches.com/becomeacoach for more information. If you determine that we're a fit and wish to join our premier organization, we invite you to contact our Dir. of Coach Engagement at [email protected] or 877.217.2253 ext.700.

TECHNOLOGY:

Align Software puts everyone on the Same Page - Literally! See, in real time every person in your organization and how they are progressing on their priorities - alongside how they Align to the Company Priorities! Scale Up your Rockefeller Habits implementation with www.alignwithgazelles.com - on your computer and on your phone.

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.