The Agile Scaleup

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.