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Growth strategy | Advisory | Force multiplier

Management

How My Son’s Life Made Me a Better Leader (and human being)

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Two years ago, my youngest son, Drake William Norup, passed away at the age of 24.

Reflecting on the past 24 months of grieving, searching for answers, and trying to make peace with what happened, I have slowly begun to realize how much his life has changed me in both subtle and profound ways.

It has made me a better husband, father, son, friend, CEO, leader, and ultimately a better human being.

I am very grateful for these lessons.

Please don’t get me wrong. While I appreciate the life lessons, I wish it had never happened. My son’s passing is the absolute worst thing I have ever experienced in my life. I would not wish the pain and torment that my family has been through upon my worst enemy.

I would do absolutely anything (and I mean ANYTHING) to have him still with us, but that is unfortunately not how life works. No matter how much I hate it, I know that he is gone and not coming back.

It is up to me to find a positive outcome. This article is one attempt.

To honor Drake and his legacy, and perhaps help others who might be facing similar challenges, I am sharing a few of the most impactful things I have learned so far.

Life is Unpredictable

As a child, Drake was a blond haired bundle of energy. Always sweet and kind-hearted, he was also very intelligent and athletic. By the end of his senior year of high school, he had been a four-year Varsity starter in both soccer and lacrosse, and was accepted by his top university choice, California Polytechnic, in San Luis Obispo.

Everything was going perfectly according to his plan. It felt like an exciting and fulfilling new life chapter was opening up before him.

We did not know what was happening when the early symptoms began to appear. It was confusing and scary for all of us, most especially for Drake. Everything that used to be so easy for him – things like school, or socializing, or even basic self-care – became difficult, if not impossible.

What we thought was a just a case of “senioritis” and wanting to party in college, was in fact early psychosis and his failed attempts at self-medicating to calm the uneasiness and chaos in his mind.

Sadly, it took several failed attempts at college, multiple arrests, and stays at re-hab centers to figure out that he in fact did not have a substance abuse issue at all. He was suffering from a severe form of bipolar (schizoaffective disorder).

You have to dig deep on the root cause. What is visible to the world may in fact not be the real problem…

Drake’s illness was a curveball that we did not see coming. In fact, we had never imagined it even as a possibility. In this instance, I don’t think there was anything we could have done to physically prepare. However, in retrospect, I do wish that I knew it was within the realm of possible. At least then, we could have prepared ourselves emotionally for the many horrors to come.

In business and life, sometimes you have to expect the unexpected. And even if it is painful, we have to consider the worst case scenario and how we might respond. This preparation has many benefits in the middle of crisis.

Mental Illness is More Common Than We Think (and it SUCKS)

Through my research, I have learned that it is fairly common for this type of mental illness to manifest in young adults, more often men than women, and it is often triggered by a stressor like a new job, becoming a parent, or leaving home for college.

Mental illness comes in many forms and affects so many people. For lack of a better word, it absolutely SUCKS. It sucks for the family, but most of all mental illness sucks for the person afflicted. Through no fault of their own, they suffer in ways most of us cannot begin to imagine.

There is so much stigma and ignorance around mental illness in our society. Because of this Drake was also often in denial that he had it. He never stopped fighting, but he never wanted to fully admit or accept that he had a serious medical condition.

As a business leader, I have learned to speak openly with my team about my son’s experience and the importance of mental health in general. The more I listen and share, the more I have come to realize the far-reaching impacts of mental illness in our society. It touches almost every one of us in some way.

It is okay to talk about mental illness.

It is okay to take a mental health day.

It is okay to admit you need help.

You are not alone.

Live Each Day to the Fullest

All of this reinforces the old truism that life is so very short.

Most of us take our daily lives for granted. For the last six years of his life, most days were a hard struggle for Drake. I hope my writing today will serve as a reminder to be thankful, to love one another, and live each day to the fullest. That is truly what Drake tried to do.

I am thankful for my wife, my other son, my family, my friends, and my work colleagues. I am also thankful for my health, and the opportunity I have been given to lead a great company.

Each day, I try to do something positive that expresses my gratitude for my life and all the people in it.

Remain Optimistic

Everything good in life is worth fighting for.

The summer before his senior year of high school, I went with my son to a traveling lacrosse team tryout. These were top players who had been invited from all around the San Francisco Bay Area, all of whom wanted to play lacrosse in college.

Drake was thin and wiry, most of them were huge. When we arrived, he took one look at the assembled players, turned to me, and told me he wanted to go home.

I shared with him that it was an honor to be invited, and then said one of those dumb dad things you regret as soon as you say them: “If it doesn’t hurt you, it will make you stronger.” I said, “It’s not the size of the fight the man is in, but the size of the fight in the man.”

He geared up, ran onto the field, and had a great tryout.

It proved to be a memorable day for both of us.

In some of his darkest moments over the last several years of his life, Drake repeated that story back to me…I think it was his way of reminding me, and himself, that he still had fight left in him.

He was optimistic that he could beat the disease. What neither of us realized was that nobody could.

As a leader, I always try to remain positive and convey my optimism. If I am being honest with myself, I have to admit that my view has shifted somewhat, I now lean towards being cautiously optimistic. My operating mantra is to trust, but also verify. And every plan, no matter how well conceived, should also have a contingency plan B.

Be Actively Empathetic

Empathy can be defined as the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.

There were many times when we struggled to understand what Drake was doing, or why he was saying the things he was. It took a while (in retrospect, much longer than it should have) for me to realize that he was just living his reality. Everything he was thinking and doing, no matter how illogical or delusional it appeared to the rest of the world, was very real and logical to him.

Even if I did not agree with him, I had to accept that it was his reality.

I have learned that the old adage to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” before you judge them, or try to help them, is profoundly useful in so many personal and work situations.

Looking at the world from someone else’s perspective is hugely helpful to both understand, and communicate better.

As a leader, I try to have the grace to accept that someone might have a different opinion, or just be having a worse day than me.

Have High Expectations, But Be Realistic

The biggest mistake I made as a parent, and the one I regret the most, was over-estimating Drake’s capability to overcome the challenges of his illness. Moreover, by extension, how much I was under-estimating its severity and debilitating impacts.

Expectations are situational. They must be in the context of what is realistically possible, and must consider both the individual and the operating environment.

As a leader, I have learned not to expect miracles. My role is to provide the resources, support and coaching, while removing as many obstacles as I can for my team. However, I should never expect someone to do more than they are capable of, or more than the situation allows.

Give as much scope as they can handle. But not so much that they fail.

Expecting the impossible to happen is setting up disappointment.

Err On the Side of Being Generous

One day we took Drake’s broken bicycle to the shop and had it repaired. When we asked him the next week how it was working, he replied, “I gave it away to a homeless person who I felt needed it more than I did.”

I was angry at the time, but should have seen the bigger picture. It is hard to be angry at someone with such a generous heart.

In the days since his passing, we have heard many stories about his kind and loving attitude. From petting every single dog he walked by, to saving a dying and abandoned plant he found on the sidewalk, to enthusiastically fist-bumping and greeting homeless people on the street, to literally giving away his last dollar to someone who needed a meal.

Life is much richer and more rewarding when you have a bias towards being generous. Even when you are having a miserable day, it always feels better to help someone else.

Live. Love.

One of the last times I saw him, Drake proudly told me that he had gotten two tattoos and asked if I would like to see them. He shared that a neighbor of his was training to become a tattoo artist and Drake had volunteered that he could practice on him.

At this point, I was thinking to myself that this might not end up well, but I gamely said that yes, I would like to see his new tattoos.

He then lifted up his long lacrosse shorts to reveal a bunch of upside down and backwards letters inked across his upper thighs. I was squinting, trying to read them, and Drake clearly saw the confusion on my face.

He then explained, “Dad, it says ‘Live. Love.’  –  The letters are facing me, so that any time I need a reminder, I just have to look down.”

“Live. Love.”

So simple. So pure. So profound…

This has become my new motto. It is how I choose to live my life.

Live. Love.

Final Thoughts

My dear son, Drake, was a rare loving soul whose bright light was extinguished far too soon. We are deeply saddened that the world will never get a chance to know him as we did, or benefit from his contribution. Nor will we get to see him grow into adulthood, launch his career, or start a family.

There is nothing like life and death to put things into perspective. I have learned that most of the stressful things in my daily life really are not that important. I am learning to ignore the small stuff, and focus on the big rocks.

I have so much love for my son, and cherish the time we had with him. There is no question that through his actions and struggles while alive, he has made me a better person.

My wife and I, and our older son, have a huge hole in our hearts. One that we hope someday to patch up and fill with purpose and meaning in honor of Drake and the challenges he faced.

For those that have read this far, I do have one small request.

For the rest of the day, I ask that you will choose to “Live. Love.” In memory of Drake.

I love you, and God bless.

-Kimball

PS – If this article has touched you in any meaningful way, please share it. And please consider helping others who are suffering from the many forms of mental illness and the common companion impacts of substance abuse and homelessness. If you don’t know of a local organization to support, I can highly recommend Transitions-Mental Health Association (www.t-mha.org) – their dedicated and caring team made a big difference in Drake’s life, and so many others.

NOTE: For those who are more curious about Drake’s life, we created a life tribute website with more photos, some poems he wrote, and a video of the service we held in his honor. Here’s the link: Drake Norup

Nine Things That Can Sink Your Growth Strategy (and Your Company)

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Nine things that can sink your growth strategy

“You may not be able to control the waves of change, but you can build a different boat.”

– General Stanley McChrystal

As any seasoned entrepreneur or senior executive will quickly tell you, there are many things that can sink your growth strategy, and ultimately your company if you are not careful.

While it is almost impossible to predict the future, you can prepare for some of the most common growth challenges. It starts by recognizing factors that could negatively affect the growth trajectory of your organization, and then thinking strategically about your options for responding.

For those organizations, and leaders, who successfully navigated through the nightmare of 2020 there were many such learning opportunities. It was a year unlike any other, and for growth leaders it offered many lessons on how to survive and thrive in a true VUCA environment.

In this article, I will share a few of the more common challenges that I have witnessed.

Learning from the Example of Others

If you are really paying attention as a growth leader, you can learn many valuable lessons by observing the failure of others.

By understanding the elements that contributed to the failure, and identifying if they exist (or could potentially emerge) in your operating environment, you can make plans to prevent these challenges from derailing your organization.

The best part of this strategy? You do not have to endure the pain and suffering yourself!

Nine Common Growth Challenges (and how to avoid them)

Here are nine of the most common growth challenges, and suggestions on how to avoid them in your organization:

  1. No vision – A key element of strategic planning is to define your Envisioned Future. Without a defined vision and long-term goals, your organization will be aimless. During the pandemic, many organizations panicked but ultimately found their footing and a path forward. Some leaders reverted to “survivor mode” and did not uphold their envisioned future, losing sight of where they wanted to go, and likely losing the confidence of their team in the process.
  2. Strategy not aligned with core ideology – Most successful organizations have defined their Core Ideology (mission, values, and purpose.) In the past 12 months, many organizations failed to align their internal and external actions with their stated purpose and values. This misalignment might not show any immediate effect, but it creates a crack in the foundation that will only grow over time. The best growth organizations are consistently true to their purpose and values, in good times and in bad. Many organizations have some form of “honesty” and “integrity” in their stated corporate values…a great question for growth leaders to ask is, “Did our actions align with our values in the past 12 months?”
  3. Neglecting talent – Growth leaders recognize that most problems are ultimately people problems. As a result, they focus on getting the right people on the bus, sitting in the right seats. During the pandemic, many organizations downsized to protect their bottom line. While necessary to some degree, many organizations will discover they cut too far and are now unable to capitalize on a recovery ahead of more strategic competitors who kept their talent intact.
  4. Poor situational awareness – Let’s be honest, almost every organization was completely blindsided by the global pandemic. Very few saw that disruptive force coming. However, by paying better attention to their operating environment and developing better situational awareness, growth leaders can begin to anticipate other potentially disruptive forces.
  5. Lack of a plan – The side benefit to developing greater situational awareness, is that growth leaders can do scenario planning with their teams. While it is okay to be surprised, there is no excuse for being unprepared. Successful growth leaders are always asking questions like, “What is the worst case scenario?” and “How would our organization respond to that?”
  6. Failure to take decisive action – Successful growth leaders have a strong, and consistent, bias for action. During the pandemic, many organizations hunkered down, hitting the pause button on executing their growth strategies. While some slowdown was prudent – and in many cases necessary – to completely stop created a huge loss of momentum, and ultimately sent an inconsistent message to the market. Many of these organizations likely will not recover from the resulting loss of talent and market traction.
  7. Failure to pivot – Closely related to taking decisive action, is knowing when something is not working and it is time for a change. Growth leaders know that sometimes the best way to get through an obstacle is to chart a new course and go around it! They innovate new products or services, enter new markets, or find new ways to position what they are selling. In the startup world this is call a “pivot” and it is a vital life skill for any growth leader. The organization either adapts or dies as a result.
  8. Lack of liquidity – There is an old business finance rule that “cash is King.” In truth, it is King, and Queen, and probably the entire royal court. Liquidity is the fuel for any organization, and without it, the organization will likely fail. The obvious connotation of liquidity is money, but it also applies to people, and capacity. Every growth leader must ensure the organization has the required resources necessary to execute its growth plan.
  9. Failure to communicate – Finally, successful growth leaders are exceptional communicators. They have an open, honest, two-way dialogue with all their constituents – both internally and externally. They do not fall victim to the temptation of putting lipstick on a pig. This clear and consistent communication not only serves as a vehicle to share strategy, it also provides a continuous feedback loop, builds trust, and ultimately helps to sell whatever solutions the organization is providing.

Conclusion

The pandemic has taught us that if you do not take the time to imagine the worst, you might not be prepared when disaster strikes. Bad things come in many shapes and sizes, and they do happen. Even to the best organizations.

By thinking about these common growth strategy challenges ahead of time, growth leaders will have a big head start on how to avoid them. Others in the market might stick their heads in the sand and hope their challenges will go away. But not growth leaders.  They confront adversity head on.

The good news – you can learn from the experience of others and prevent them from happening in your organization.

The bad news – if you ignore them, they can be catastrophic.

-Onward

KISS: The Power of Simplicity in a Complex World

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“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction”

—Albert Einstein

There are many benefits to keeping things simple in an increasingly complex world.

Successful growth leaders know that it is a constant battle to fight the evil forces of complexity within their organizations. Complexity is the single greatest execution risk for any growth strategy.

Simple is good. Complexity is bad.

KISS

There is an old and often-quoted acronym, called KISS, which is most often interpreted as: Keep It Simple Stupid.

There are many variations of the KISS phrase, including: “keep it simple, sweetheart”, “keep it simple, silly”, “keep it short and simple”, “keep it simple and straightforward”, “keep it small and simple”, “keep it simple, soldier”, or “keep it simple, sailor”.

No matter which version of KISS you prefer, they all have the same core meaning: Simple is good. Complexity is bad.

The KISS acronym is credited to Kelly Johnson, lead engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works (creators of the infamous Lockheed U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird spy planes, among many others).

The KISS principle states that most systems work best if they are made simple rather than more complicated. Therefore, simplicity should be a key goal in design, and unnecessary complexity is to be avoided.

A great example of the KISS principle in action is a story of Johnson providing a team of his design engineers a handful of simple mechanics tools, with the challenge that the jet aircraft they were designing must be repairable by an average mechanic, in the field under combat conditions, with only these tools. In this context, “stupid” refers to the relationship between the way things break and the level of sophistication available to repair them.

A great lesson that has application to any field.

Simple is good. Complexity is bad.

Norup’s Complexity Theory

During my career I have interacted with many other leaders – both as colleagues, competitors, partners, advisors, prospects, and clients.

With this first-hand experience, I have concluded that all leaders can be categorized into one of two broad buckets:

  • There are those who constantly seem to make things more difficult and complicated. This usually is not malicious – it is just how they think and operate. I like to call them “Complicators.”
  • And, then there are those who constantly try to simplify things and strive for effectiveness. The “Simplifiers.”

Unfortunately, I have also observed that they exist in a 4:1 ratio. In other words, 80% of leaders are Complicators and only 20% are Simplifiers.

The most effective growth leaders are Simplifiers. They strive to build efficient go-to-market processes, communicate clearly to the market, and build effective teams.

All things being equal, simplicity always wins. It is easier to build, maintain, and scale.

During times of massive uncertainty and crisis, even the strongest and most experienced professionals can get overwhelmed and freeze up. Taking complexity out of the equation enables teams to know what to do, where to start, and who to help.

Complexity makes the path forward much more challenging.

Complexity does not scale.

Simple is good. Complexity is bad.

Where to Start

Growth leaders should tackle complexity within their organization by evaluating the major go-to-market processes within their domain.

A useful model is to literally “follow a lead” all the way through a typical buyer’s journey for your organization. Starting with marketing and lead generation, and then moving to sales enablement, on to sales, and all the way through to your post-sale client success function.

At every step and through every stage, pay attention to extra steps that can cause friction or confusion in the process. Remove variables. Provide decision-making guidelines.

Before layering in any form of complexity. Make sure the simple case is optimized.

This approach of slow is smooth, and smooth is fast is a proven way to accelerate growth while reducing execution risk.

People often worry that making something simpler is, in fact, making it simplistic or dumbing it down. In fact, the opposite is true. As Leonardo Da Vinci so eloquently said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

Conclusion

Eliminating complexity is not a one-time event.

In the post-pandemic “new normal” business era, the pace of change is accelerating, not slowing down. This relentless level of innovation and pushing boundaries can easily breed complexity if not constantly monitored.

Successful growth leaders should focus on being simplifiers, dedicating continuous effort to refine, simplify, and optimize processes.

Leader that fit in the Complicators category will find it difficult to stay ahead of sudden changes that are often forced on them by unforeseen economic, environmental, buyer, or competitive forces. The complexity of their organizations becomes an anchor – slowing things down and limiting growth.

Simple is good. Complexity is bad.

-Onward

The Core DNA of a Growth Leader

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“A leader’s job is to look into the future and see the organization, not as it is, but as it should be.”

– Jack Welch

In order for an organization to grow, someone needs to take charge of growth and lead the effort.

This is the job of the growth leader.

A growth leader can have many different titles within the organization. Most often, it is the CEO, President, CSO, Head of Growth, or Chief Marketing Officer who is responsible for driving growth for the organization.

However, the job title alone does not guarantee competence or success. The title does not define the capability of the growth leader. Rather, it is how they think and what they do, which ultimately makes a growth leader successful.

In my experience, the best growth leaders share some common characteristics. I call these attributes the core DNA of a growth leader.

What are they? Read on…

Have a Growth Mindset

Having the right mindset can dramatically affect your habits, attitude, and actions. Your mindset will have an outsize influence on your ultimate success.

A growth leader is never happy with the status quo. They do not acknowledge any limitations, and are always thinking about how to evolve and grow the organization.

They are hardwired to view the world as “glass half full” by default. This is a growth mindset.

In my experience, the best growth leaders are passionate about growth, and this passion is infectious. They build teams, and organizations, that are hyper-focused on growth.

Focus on Talent

Growth leaders know that almost all problems in business are people problems. By extension, growth leaders also know that all solutions in business are also people solutions.

Successful growth strategy is largely determined by the people on your team.

Growth leaders relentlessly focus on attracting, developing, and retaining the best talent for their organization.

They know it is critical to have the right people on the bus, sitting in the right seats. They also take swift action to get the wrong people off the bus.

The best growth leaders also focus on creating new opportunities and providing professional development for their team. These leaders make every effort to coach and develop talent. This includes identifying the unique strengths of each team member, offering constructive feedback to help them improve in weaker areas, and presenting opportunities that not only leverage individual strengths but also benefit the business as a whole.

The benefits are many. With a growth mindset, leaders can develop a high performing workforce while also boosting morale and the bottom line.

Lead from the Front

Growth leaders know that scaling an organization is a team sport. They cannot do it alone.

They also know that every ship needs a captain, someone with a steady hand on the helm who leads from the front.

Growth leaders get out of the building and into the market. Growth leaders love to get dirty alongside their teams.

Acknowledge Unknown Unknowns

The best growth leaders accept that there are many unknown unknowns. They realize that they cannot possibly know everything, nor can they predict everything. However, that does not mean they should ignore potential disruptive forces.

They acknowledge that we are operating in an increasingly VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) business environment.

This unknown dynamic is not always comfortable, or fun. However, it is real and very likely not going to disappear. This uncertainty is a given, so growth leaders make plans to deal with it.

One proven solution for growth leaders and their teams is to develop deep situational awareness of their operating environment. This will help them identify potential disruptions before they happen. Over time, they will gain confidence in “seeing around corners,” or predicting, which events have a higher probability of happening.

Armed with this insight and analysis, growth leaders can then start to do scenario-based planning as part of their management cadence.

Disciplined About Strategic Planning

Growth leaders know that it is not very often you can shoot from the hip and be successful. Instead of a tactical and reactive approach, growth leaders take a disciplined approach to strategic planning.

Growth leaders seek to identify and bridge the strategic gap between Core Ideology (mission, values, purpose) and their Envisioned Future (vision, objectives) for the organization. They do this by creating a strategy and comprehensive action plan to get there, then taking consistent action.

True to Their Values

Growth leaders help define and evangelize the values of their organization. They also genuinely demonstrate these values each and every day through their words and actions.

Many organizations have some unique values, but there is absolutely no reason that honesty and integrity should not be on every organizations list.

Misalignment between an organization’s stated values and actions is a key predictor of failure.

Think Like a Scientist

Growth leaders are confident, and smart enough, to acknowledge they do not know everything.

What sets them apart is they do not attempt to hide it. Rather, they embrace gaps in their knowledge, and take a disciplined approach to learn more.

They are always in learning mode, and intuitively understand that lessons can come from the most unexpected people and places, if you are receptive to them.

Growth leaders are always asking questions like “why?”, “how?”, and “what if?” in an attempt to unlock more growth, at a faster rate, for their organization. They think like scientists and set up contained experiments to prove or disprove their theories.

Learn from Failure

Failure is part of the game regardless of your industry or role, or prior success. No individual, or organization, wins 100% of the time.

However, what sets growth leaders apart is they do not let failure define them. A key part of a growth mindset is combatting the impulse to wallow in self-pity and self-deprecation and instead make every effort to learn quickly from failure in order to grow.

With a growth mindset, leaders are able to analyze poor behaviors or tactics, identify what contributed to their failure, and make deliberate changes to achieve better success in the future.

This relentless line of inquiry does not always yield positive or useful results. However, it does get you much closer to a better answer over time. As Thomas Edison once said, ““I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

MFGSD!

Last but certainly not least, all growth leaders share one common attribute – they have a strong bias for action. They embody the MFGSD ethos, and instill it in their teams.

This relentless focus on execution is perhaps the most important element of a growth leader’s DNA.

Until someone takes action, nothing will happen.

-Onward

Get the Right People on the Bus First

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“It is better to first get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats, and then figure out where to drive.” – James C. Collins

Early on in my career, I learned a valuable business lesson from my father when he shared this pearl of wisdom with me:

In life, almost every problem is ultimately a people problem.

If I am being honest, the true gravity and impact of that statement was largely lost on me at the time. Furthermore, I cannot even remember the event that triggered the conversation. However, over the years (and all my successive senior leadership roles across a number of organizations) the absolute brilliance of his advice became readily apparent.

All problems are ultimately people problems.

By extension, all solutions are also dependent on people.

Why? Because in any organization it takes people, working together, to solve the problems and come up with solutions that serve clients/customers/constituents.

Whether you call them your people, your team, your coworkers, your colleagues, your talent, or even your workforce…people are the key ingredient for success in any organization.

The Bus Analogy from Good to Great

One of my all-time favorite business strategy books is Good to Great, by Jim Collins, where the author and his team researched a number of organizations in an attempt to decipher the “growth DNA” of great companies.

They had expected to find that the first step in taking a company from good to great would be to set a new direction (defining a new vision and strategy for the company) and then getting the organization committed and aligned behind that new direction.

What they found was quite the opposite.

They discovered this common pattern: Those executives who ignited transformations from good to great did not first figure out where to drive the bus (their metaphor for the organization) and then get people to take it there.

Instead, they first got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it. These leaders essentially said, “Look, I don’t really know where we should take this bus. But I know this much: If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we’ll figure out how to take it someplace great.”  

Three Simple Truths

Collins also found that these so-called “good-to-great leaders” understood three simple truths:

  1. If you begin with “who,” rather than “what,” you can more easily adapt to a changing world. If people join your organization primarily because of where it is going when they joined, what happens if you need to change direction? You then have a problem. However, if people are on the bus because of who else is on the bus, then it is much easier to change direction.
  2. When you have the right people on the bus, the problem of how to motivate and manage them largely goes away.  The right people do not need to be tightly managed or fired up; they will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best results and to be part of creating something great.
  3. Finally, if you have the wrong people, it simply does not matter whether you discover the right direction; you still will not have a great company. Great vision without great people is irrelevant. In fact, as many of us have witnessed in our careers, the wrong people can be a cancer on the organization that will literally kill it from the inside out.

Connecting People to Your Strategic Plan

When starting out on their growth journey, many organizations unfortunately begin on the wrong foot.

It is a common trap for growth leaders to be so focused on the “what” that they neglect to think through the “who.” What do I mean by this?

In the world of growth strategy, execution begins with great leadership. Great leaders have the ability to attract, retain, and grow the talent needed to get the work done. They also instill a bias for action (MFGSD!)

Growing an organization, no matter the size or industry, is always a team sport. You will never reach your destination without the right team in place.

Expanding upon the “right people on the bus” analogy, here is my quick and dirty playbook for how you can connect people and your strategic plan for growth:

  1. It begins with a roadworthy bus. (Ensure your organization and product(s)/service(s) are ready to go to market. Do your values as an organization line up with the value you deliver to customers?)
  2. Make sure you have the right bus driver. (Does the leader of your organization have the experience, passion, and energy to lead the charge?)
  3. Next, get the right people on the bus. (This is your core leadership team.)
  4. Followed by getting the wrong ones off the bus. Quickly. (One of the most important, and difficult challenges for leaders is to take quick and decisive action on those who do not belong on the bus.)
  5. Next, make sure everyone is sitting in the right seat. (Do you have the right people in the right roles.)
  6. Now, as a team, you can think about your destination. (What is your envisioned future? What are your long-term objectives?)
  7. Followed by, plotting your ideal roadmap to get there, along with planning for any unexpected detours you might encounter along the way. (This is where you define your chosen strategy and create a robust plan.)
  8. Start driving! (Now it is time to get out of the building, and get dirty.)

Great People Achieve Great Results

Growth leaders embrace the concept that all problems are people problems, and all solutions require people.

The best leaders focus on building a great culture, one that attracts and retains the talent they need to execute their growth plans. They know that great people will achieve great results.

A roadworthy bus, with the right driver, and the right people on the bus, sitting in the right seats, is a great start to reaching your desired destination.

-Onward