The Growth Whisperers podcast

"Necessary Endings" is a self-help book written by Dr. Henry Cloud. It explores the concept of embracing and initiating endings in various aspects of life, such as relationships, careers, and personal growth, in order to create a positive and fulfilling future. The book emphasises that endings are a natural part of life and are necessary for personal and professional growth.  While endings are a natural part of business and life, we often experience them with a sense of hesitation, sadness, resignation, or regret. But Dr. Henry Cloud sees endings differently. He argues that our personal and professional lives can only improve to the degree that we can see endings as a necessary and strategic step to something better. If we cannot see endings in a positive light and execute them well, he asserts, the "better" will never come either in business growth or our personal lives. In this insightful and deeply empathetic book, Dr. Cloud demonstrates that, when executed well, "necessary endings" allow us to proactively correct the bad and the broken in our lives in order to make room for the professional and personal growth we seek. However, when endings are avoided or handled poorly—as is too often the case—good opportunities may be lost, and misery repeated. Drawing on years of experience as an executive coach and a psychologist, Dr. Cloud offers a mixture of advice and case studies to help readers Know when to have realistic hope and when to execute a necessary ending in a business, or with an individual. Identify which employees, projects, activities, and relationships are worth nurturing and which are not. Overcome people's resistance to change and create change that works. Create urgency and an action plan for what's important. Stop wasting resources needed for the things that really matter. Knowing when and how to let go when something, or someone, isn't working—a personal relationship, a job, or a business venture—is essential for happiness and success.  In this, the final episode of the Growth Whisperers podcast, we talk about the book necessary endings, our journey together, and why you should consider what endings are necessary in your life.  Thank you for listening, it's been an honour to help you. From Kevin and Brad. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

There is an entire industry and philosophy surrounding why you should sell your business, but it doesn't need to be that way.  There are many reasons why people choose to sell their businesses and really the reasons can be broken down into two different things.  1. Long Term Goal To Exit: A strategic decision because their plan all along was to sell their business and they have something else more desirable to do with their time (besides golf). 2. Looking for an Exit strategy after losing faith.  They hit a point of frustration or desperation and are no longer either enjoying the business or don't believe they can get it to the next level.  The first point is a goal to exit, the second allows you to think it isn't going to get any easier, it might be better to sell. And there are a lot of people who will want you to sell. This means you can feel forced to exit. In this episode we discuss the top 5 reasons people regret selling, and how you can consider different perspectives and opportunities.    ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #19 Mental health in business leadership during COVID19 #79 Eliminate your emotionally taxing issues - lick your toads   ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Without effective discipline around decision making we can end up making decisions we later might call dumb. To avoid this one of the tools we use is the sandbox. Where we play. Our sandbox is where we have proven that we can win and earn the right to be a viable option for our customers. And the principle helps us to keep sand in the box. What we sell, Who we sell it to and where we sell it. Like any principle creates focus and guardrails for our thinking and decisions. When going outside of these guardrails, we need to do it with extreme caution and this takes a lot of humility at times - especially when a business is doing really well.       ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #19 Mental health in business leadership during COVID19 #79 Eliminate your emotionally taxing issues - lick your toads   ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Executives are often more driven than the average person. We run hard all the time, and it usually works. And then, it doesn't work. We persist and push harder than the average person, and that's why we win. But it's also why we can crash harder and sometimes even put everything at risk.  This week we talk about executive burnout in the second of two episodes. What it means, what to look out for in both yourself and your team, and when it might be time to go get some help.       ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #19 Mental health in business leadership during COVID19 #79 Eliminate your emotionally taxing issues - lick your toads   ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Executives are often more driven than the average person. We run hard all the time, and it usually works. And then, it doesn't work. We persist and push harder than the average person, and that's why we win. But it's also why we can crash harder and sometimes even put everything at risk.  This week we talk about executive burnout. What it means, what to look out for in both yourself and your team, and when it might be time to go get some help.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #19 Mental health in business leadership during COVID19 #79 Eliminate your emotionally taxing issues - lick your toads   ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Jim Collins book Good to Great is one of the all-time business classics due to the size and quality of the research that underpins the principles that he identified in the research about companies that endured and achieved great performance, relative to their peer companies who only achieved good performance.  In Good to Great, Jim Collins identified seven core principles that great companies excelled at. In this part two of two episodes, we dig into the seven principles from Good to Great and ask you to rate your firm's performance on each of these.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #149 My Gross Margin is dropping – what should I do? #155 The 9 books every CEO must read #114 The CEO has only one tool ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Jim Collins book Good to Great is one of the all-time business classics due to the size and quality of the research that underpins the principles that he identified in the research about companies that endured and achieved great performance, relative to their peer companies who only achieved good performance.  In Good to Great, Jim Collins identified seven core principles that great companies excelled at. In this part one of two episodes, we dig into the seven principles from Good to Great and ask you to rate your firm's performance on each of these.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #149 My Gross Margin is dropping – what should I do? #155 The 9 books every CEO must read #114 The CEO has only one tool ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

What if the most important number and predictor of long-term success was also a number that you didn't measure or even manage decisions based on it? Unfortunately, it's a situation that is quite common today. The accumulation of many seemingly small (and large) investment decisions that leaders make leads to the primary measure of a CEO - return on invested capital. How much capital has been invested in your business, and what's the return on that? Some of the most successful CEOs of all time have been primarily guided by this measure.  Ensuring that these decisions are well-considered and actually create high-impact results is where leaders should focus.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #149 My Gross Margin is dropping – what should I do? #155 The 9 books every CEO must read #114 The CEO has only one tool ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Some parts of your role give you energy, and some parts drain your energy. Often, the parts that drain your energy can be unsustainable. When you were younger, you probably had jobs that drained your energy, and you quit those jobs, getting better jobs over time. But that's often not possible if you're a business owner, CEO or executive.  Over time we want to give more time to things that give us energy and less time to those parts that drain energy. This way we're able to work hard and sustain our energy for the role. We would be tired at the end of the day, but our energy for the role would remain.  This week we talk about how to live and work in your Sustainable Sweet Spot as a leader.   ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #49 Are you a genius with 1,000 helpers? If so, how do you become a level 5 leader? #22 Bringing a new leader or executive into a leadership team ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

How do you know if you have the right people in the right seats? We've all heard of the phrase ‘get the right people in the right seats on the bus'. It talks about ensuring that team members are aligned and committed to success. However, Jim Collins has a very specific definition of the ‘right people', and when you're considering if you have the right people in the right seats, this includes six key characteristics that might help to understand what 'right' actually means.  This week we're going through Jim Collins' definition of the right people in the right seats.    ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #49 Are you a genius with 1,000 helpers? If so, how do you become a level 5 leader? #22 Bringing a new leader or executive into a leadership team ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Hiring can be expensive.  It's expensive in terms of time for leaders to commit to an effective hiring process, it's expensive in terms of recruitment fees or costs, and it's expensive in terms of productivity. And that's when you get it right! Sometimes we can make mistakes when hiring, and this can be even more expensive. Perhaps busy executives are skipping steps or they might not know what things to avoid. This week we talk about five expensive hiring mistakes you should avoid.    ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #151 I'm thinking about appointing my first COO or President – what should I do? #49 Are you a genius with 1,000 helpers? If so, how do you become a level 5 leader? #22 Bringing a new leader or executive into a leadership team ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. - Harry S. Truman. As leaders, we are avid learners and readers.  And some of the best insights come from getting different perspectives whether it be from biographies of great leaders from the past or present or research that relates to our industries or completely divergent learning that enhance our perspectives of the world.   Aside from travel, reading is one of the most impactful things we can spend time on to enhance the quality of our thinking and leadership. We all have favourites, but these 9 books are constantly at the top of our lists and the lists of the CEO's and Executives we work with.   In this episode we discuss the 9 books that every CEO (and executive) must read. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #151 I'm thinking about appointing my first COO or President – what should I do? #49 Are you a genius with 1,000 helpers? If so, how do you become a level 5 leader? #22 Bringing a new leader or executive into a leadership team ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Annual strategy meetings are a necessary part of every organisation. And they can be very expensive, with decisions made affecting the organisation for a year or more. Ensuring you maximise the value from these meetings and avoid mistakes to set the company up to win next year and into the future. This week we share seven mistakes we've found leaders make at annual strategy meetings, and what you can do to avoid these mistakes.    ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #151 I'm thinking about appointing my first COO or President – what should I do? #49 Are you a genius with 1,000 helpers? If so, how do you become a level 5 leader? #22 Bringing a new leader or executive into a leadership team ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Liz Wiseman is an ex oracle executive who wrote an amazing book about how we all have moments as leaders where we accidentally diminish team members and 'shut down' their smarts, making our people less capable. What makes it worse, is that our intent is usually to be helpful and supportive, and yet it has the opposite impact.   She breaks out the difference between the behaviours we have that multiply the intelligence of our team (and potentially family members too) and those that diminish their capability and intelligence. You can understand the accidental diminisher traits, and where you can improve, and then, you can understand how to multiply the capability of your team members.  This week we're talking about the Multipliers concept from Liz Wiseman, and how it can apply to you as a leader.  ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #151 I'm thinking about appointing my first COO or President – what should I do? #49 Are you a genius with 1,000 helpers? If so, how do you become a level 5 leader? #22 Bringing a new leader or executive into a leadership team ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

It's been said that people join companies and leave managers. Almost everyone can't stand a boss who is a micromanager. But what if you might be a micromanager? You know you are a micromanager if the weight of responsibility along with the thinking and planning related to it, ultimately sits with you. You will know this is true if the problems, thinking and decisions come to you. To avoid micromanagement and instead achieve leadership one must transfer the responsibility and coach the person. This leads to the clarity and tension that drives accountability and results.  This week we discuss what to do if you're concerned that you might be a micromanager. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #151 I'm thinking about appointing my first COO or President – what should I do? #49 Are you a genius with 1,000 helpers? If so, how do you become a level 5 leader? #22 Bringing a new leader or executive into a leadership team ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

For many leaders hiring their first COO or President can be a big change. Perhaps they've been running the business for a long time with 6 or 7 direct reports, and need to move to the next level, or begin transitioning toward succession. No matter how or why hiring your first COO or hiring your first president can be a big change, and comes with a set of unique challenges.   This week we talk about this unique issue, and what to do if you're hiring your first COO or President. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  --------- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #132 Onboarded - What is onboarding and why does it matter (1 of 4) #49 Are you a genius with 1,000 helpers? If so, how do you become a level 5 leader? #22 Bringing a new leader or executive into a leadership team ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

It can be quite common for leaders to be not satisfied with an executive or key employee. However, it's important not to allow that frustration to remain, but to understand why you are feeling this way. This means becoming clear on the gaps between your expectations, and actual performance, and then having a conversation with them so they are aware and have an opportunity to recalibrate and meet your expectations. The failure of many leaders is experiencing this frustration, but keeping it a secret, which isn't fair to either party.  If you're feeling that an executive might not be performing, in this episode we talk about why you should act on it, and we provide several tools on how to understand, assess, and act on it.  ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #129 How to identify A players during an interview #127 How to deal with an executive that is underperforming #126 What to say when managers tell you people are leaving for more money #114 The CEO has only one tool #89 The 4 different types of A players ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Gross margin is one of the most important numbers in your business. Gross Margin (percentage) is a good indicator that your business is healthy: Both on the selling/strategy end indicating your customer is willing to pay you well for what you offer, and on the operations end demonstrating that you can efficiently produce what the customer wants. The trend of this number over time can tell quite the story. When it starts to fade, as it often can, it is a reason for concern.  This week we talk about Gross Margin erosion, why it happens and what you should do if you find yourself in this situation. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #74 The Power and Struggle of saying no #120 The 20 Mile March concept By Jim Collins: Thrive in Uncertainty   ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

Price increases are a bit of a dirty word in business - and they have become a critical success factor for companies in 2023 with incredibly high price inflation affecting input costs; Enduring companies that have been around for many decades have mastered this discipline, whereas newer companies have not necessarily had to learn this lesson yet, and it hurts. Big, experienced companies were making price increases fast and early - and profiting from it; Smaller, nicer companies waited, thought about it, and many paid a serious price with their margins shirking and tier bottom line fading too. Practically many businesses must increase pricing at some point, and people don't necessarily like to do it - especially the sales team who deal with customers all the time.  In this episode, we talk about the method of price increases, why it matters and some of the best ways to do it in your business. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #74 The Power and Struggle of saying no #120 The 20 Mile March concept By Jim Collins: Thrive in Uncertainty   ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players

In team meetings, leaders often need a simple code of conduct through which to operate. If you have the 'right people on the bus', they will be self-motivated and don't require constant coercing toward a compelling vision. In order to effectively delegate responsibility and accountability and create a high-performing team, leaders should follow Jim Collin's three rules of engagement for healthy teams. In this episode, we discuss Jim Collin's three rules, what they are and why each of them are so important to create the environment for a high-performing team to thrive.  ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Is Twitter your thing? Follow @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. *Like LinkedIn? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkevinlawrence/  -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ Newsletters *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/articles *https://lawrenceandco.com/business-resources ----- Related episodes #97 What time period should your role be focussed on? #124 Five things that make a bad strategic plan #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework #64 Why you need a Quarterly reset #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework   ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: #84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #130 Jim Collins: Level 5 leaders #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #89 The 4 different types of A players  

Are you looking to become a more effective leader? In this episode of the "Growth Whisperers" podcast, we explore the importance of goal obsession in successful leadership. Discover why the greatest leaders are driven by a deep sense of purpose and relentless determination to achieve their goals, no matter the challenges that come their way. Learn how to set and achieve ambitious goals that will set you apart and allow you to make a lasting impact.  It's not enough to have big goals. Great leaders obsess over them. They never let them out of their mind -- OR their team's mind.  ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Related episodes #97 What time period should your role be focussed on? #124 Five things that make a bad strategic plan #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework #64 Why you need a Quarterly reset #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up

Are you struggling to prioritize tasks and maximize your productivity? The Time Management Matrix, created by Stephen Covey, could be the solution you've been looking for. In this podcast, we'll teach you how to effectively use the matrix to set goals and achieve success in both your personal and professional life. Through real-life examples, you'll learn how to manage your time in each of the matrix's four quadrants. We all have limited time and exactly 24 hours in a day, and yet, some people accomplish more at work and can also have more of a life that they love…. While others may work just as many hours, want the same thing and come up short. If you want to increase your productivity and better manage your time, this podcast is a must-listen. Don't miss out on these valuable time management tips and techniques.   Links quoted in the episode https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/57338a0e2fe1312482379195/1485791609237-SRR2U6TPSZC25MSBR85Z/?content-type=image%2Fjpeg  https://www.statista.com/statistics/411775/average-daily-time-watching-tv-us-by-age/  ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Related episodes #97 What time period should your role be focussed on? #109 Why building SOPs and procedure manuals can be a waste of time #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework #64 Why you need a Quarterly reset #113 Think Time - the only way to really be strategic ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up

What cash decisions do you need to make to win in 2023?  2023 looks to have major challenges that are slowly developing. And this is especially so when considering your cash and how it might be impacted by the changing environment. One of the most important questions to answer to best prepare for 2023 is how can I maintain consistent financial performance if my customer's needs or spending changes? Notable quotes from the episode. "Profit is an opinion, but cash is a fact" "How can you have and generate more cash to grow and handle the bumps that might be in the road ahead?" This week we discuss how to maintain consistency if your customers are impacted and how can you win in 2023 through the cash lens.  ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Related episodes #97 What time period should your role be focussed on? #124 Five things that make a bad strategic plan #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework #64 Why you need a Quarterly reset #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up  

What execution decisions do you need to make to win in 2023?  2023 looks to have major challenges that are slowly developing. And this is especially so when considering your strategy and how it might be impacted by the changing environment. One of the most important questions to answer to best prepare for 2023 is how can I maintain consistent financial performance if my customer's needs or spending changes? "People are always excited about the games in sports, but it is all the discipline and habits built in practice that drives winning" This week we discuss how to maintain consistency through execution and how can you win in 2023 through the execution lens.  ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Related episodes #97 What time period should your role be focussed on? #124 Five things that make a bad strategic plan #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework #64 Why you need a Quarterly reset #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up  

What strategy decisions do you need to make to win in 2023?  2023 looks to have major challenges that are slowly developing. And this is especially so when considering your strategy and how it might be impacted by the changing environment. One of the most important questions to answer to best prepare for 2023 is how can I maintain consistent financial performance if my customer's needs or spending changes? Jim Collins said that  "The signature of mediocrity is not unwillingness change, the signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency" This week we discuss how to maintain consistency if your customers are impacted and how can you win in 2023 through the strategy lens.  ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Related episodes #97 What time period should your role be focussed on? #124 Five things that make a bad strategic plan #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework #64 Why you need a Quarterly reset #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up  

What people decisions do you need to make to win in 2023?  2023 looks to have major challenges that are slowly developing. And this is especially so when considering the people challenges we're all facing. One of the most important questions to answer in order to best prepare for 2023 is how do I get the right people in the right seats doing the right things the right way? This week we're going through some important things to find the right people in 2023 and get your people system working. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Related episodes #97 What time period should your role be focussed on? #124 Five things that make a bad strategic plan #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework #64 Why you need a Quarterly reset #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up  

2023 is looking like one of the most interesting years in our lives and careers. We didn't really see 2020, it just happened to us, and we all responded.  But 2023 looks to have major challenges that are slowly developing.  So what can we do in order to win in 2023?  In this first of five episodes, we look at what we know about 2023, and what we can do to manage the headwinds and challenges.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 to learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Related episodes #97 What time period should your role be focussed on? #124 Five things that make a bad strategic plan #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework #64 Why you need a Quarterly reset #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter #104 The habits successful leaders use to prepare each week #50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company #96 The three main barriers to consistent growth #90 Meeting Rhythm - The Annual Strategic Thinking meeting #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up  

What is more important, getting the right people or getting the right strategy? Many people have opinions about what matters more. Strategy people think it's strategy, and you might have a great team, but they will spin their wheels without a great strategy.  Then others will think that culture is more important and that a great strategy will go nowhere without a high-performing team.  But there's also one other nuance to this debate and its execution. How effectively does the team execute the strategy? Today we ask if we had to pick one, if we had to dedicate 80% of our energy to, which would it be and why? ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Related episodes #124 Five things that make a bad strategic plan #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework #64 Why you need a Quarterly reset   Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

Many companies might have a plan, but some plans work better than others. Focus matters; having an ideology, strategy, and execution goals in one plan enables leaders to focus and achieve results.  By bringing together the ideology (Core Values & Core Purpose), Strategy (How you're different) and execution together into a logical fit, you avoid just having a list of goals with different time horizons. This week we discuss the One Page Plan, where it comes from, why it works and the principles that underly its success. Also, we discuss how people make mistakes with the one page plan.   ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Related episodes #124 Five things that make a bad strategic plan #110 Five most common questions we get about Scaling Up #85 How to get the most from a strategic planning framework #64 Why you need a Quarterly reset   Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

This week we're talking about a new book that Kevin is working on entitled The Four Forces of Growth. We talk about the four forces, why they matter and what you can do to focus on growth. Here's an excerpt from Kevin's website outlining the four forces of growth. The 4 Forces of Growth We're about a third of the way through this year, and it feels as if we've already burned a year's worth of energy. Many people have slipped into troubleshooting, problem solving and pivoting within their businesses and I've seen some amazing ways that teams have rallied to change, improve and come out stronger and more unified. It's incredibly impressive. So, now that we've made it through this initial storm, the key is to make sure that we become masters of prioritizing and focusing on what matters most. Unfortunately, when things become more chaotic – as they likely will be for a while – and there are many different perspectives and opinions, people often put their energy where their logic tells them. And they won't find out, until a few months down the road, that it might not have been the best choice. That's when the difference between strategic thinkers and amazing executers start to show up. Some people, for whatever reason, are better at figuring out the higher impact places to put their energy, and what to leave alone. Whether this is you, or not, the key is to have the right tools to help you and your team pick what matters the most – and to ensure you don't get distracted and deluded by logical thought in an illogical time. Defying Logic From the beginning of recorded history, there have been people who pursued ideas and actions that defied logic. Like Leonardo Da Vinci who conceived a flying machine well before the Wright brothers took to the sky, or scientists in the 1700s who began to think that disease was caused by micro-organisms rather than bad blood or bad air. These unique people were drawn to hard, risky pursuits that contained very little instant gratification and, in many cases, sustained struggle and sacrifice. They were motivated and inspired by the impact of their pursuits and had the courage to push ahead – even when the logic of the day told them otherwise. Last August, I started work on a new book about this topic and, little did I realize that it would become incredibly important six months later. The premise of the book is to find a simple way to help people to evaluate their decisions – to truly understand if their priorities really help or hinder their growth. I'm fascinated by people who do the unthinkable and continue to defy logic, to persevere and succeed. After much research, I chose the analogy of flight and the pilots who defy gravity for extended periods of time. CEOs and pilots are very similar, both from a leadership perspective and they ways they make amazing things happen. The 4 Forces of Growth In an airplane, pilots have to pay attention to the principles of flight – Lift, Thrust, Weight and Drag: Lift is created by the wings and contrasted by the weight of the plane and gravity. When you get lift and thrust you get altitude The thrust of the engines pushing the plane forward is fought by drag, the resistance of air. Pilots – just like a CEO – must pay attention to these principles or they'll quickly succumb to the forces of gravity. Here's how this relates to the world of a CEO and leader: Lift happens when leaders lift their heads to look at opportunities – the future possibilities that help the business to get to a higher altitude of more revenue, more customers, more profit Weight are the problems we get sucked into Thrust is the courage to push ahead, make decisions and get into action Drag is fear and doubt as we spend too much time contemplating, delay decisions and are less likely to act boldly. Opportunities and Problems, Fear and Courage are the 4 Forces of Growth that shape and define four states we can find ourselves in, at any given time: Agony, Analysis, Growth and Improvement. Growth is the result of courage and opportunity: increased revenue, new customers, new products, new services, new markets. It's solving a problem for somebody new or solving a new problem for someone you already work with. It's not about doing what you already do today – it's about expanding in some way. Growth is the accountability of CEOs who should be spending most of their thinking and action time in that box. And if the CEO is not, it's very difficult for the company to grow. Improvement is when you have the courage to move ahead but your energy is focused on solving problems. While improvement is good, it won't grow a business on its own. It can make customers happier, improve margins and costs, and streamline operations. It's wonderful and equally dangerous. This box is normally owned by the COO who needs to be focused on making things better. The challenge here is understanding the problems that need to be solved and the problems that need to be ignored. Knowing how to make the decision on which problem to focus, or not, is the value of an amazing CEO or COO. (We'll talk more about this, in future.) You could stay in this box all day long and that's the risk because problems never go away. In many companies we work with, that are really focused on growth, we leave a couple of percent in the expense structure of the business for problems that we continue to pay for, so that we can reallocate more energy into growth. These are strategic decisions that generally only a good CEO can make – to not solve problems and to not optimize all their costs so that they can grow healthily and quickly. Analysis is on the other side of courage. This is where you look at opportunities but you're fearful or hesitant to make a decision. This box is generally mastered by the CFO – the yin to the CEOs yang – who challenges and throws reality and practicality at some of the CEOs strategy thinking. That's why the CEO or CFO pairing is so critical. A certain amount of analysis is very good. We need it but, at a certain point, we also need to make a decision, a test or a move, so only being an analysis obviously isn't good. The question is how much do we need? Depending on the CEO, this can vary. If you have a very growth-oriented, visionary CEO more analysis is often needed for balance. And a fairly analytical CEO might not lead as much on the CFO for additional analysis. Agony happens when you're a fearful victim, stuck in problems, and indecisive. This is analysis paralysis – a very painful place where problems become overwhelming and you can't find your way out. This is possibly the most dangerous state of all because it can degrade the mental health of individuals, of teams and, in a worst-case scenario, the entire company. To move across the line into improvement, you need to find – or borrow or rent – the courage to do something. Generally, audit/legal/compliance own this box, and they need to look at problems, in order to keep us from getting into trouble. While we need to be compliant, and aware of the problems that can really hurt us, we also need to make decisions and move ahead. You don't grow a business here. A Matter of Time As you look at this model, where is your time spent? Some CEOs would say they want to be 80% growth, 9% analysis, 9% improvement and 2% agony. And others – depending on the state of their business and the strength of their team – might be 40% growth, 10% analysis, 40% improvement and 10% agony. While there's no right answer here, the key is being conscious of where you and your team actually spend your time, and to make sure your focus is in the right place. The reality is that you just can't expect to have a company that grows 30% per year, year on year, if the CEO spends 10% of their time in the growth box. Red Flags When we do strategic planning sessions with companies, we always try to make sure there's enough energy allocated to the Growth box for the company to reach its goals. And, obviously, we're always analyzing and improving things, in the business, so that it gets stronger as it gets bigger. A red flag is when the CEO of a growing company spends too much time administering or analyzing their business, versus doing the things that create growth. Sometimes these are easy distractions that may create a lot of noise and seem important, but they aren't the best use of your time.   From Kevin's blog https://lawrenceandco.com/resources/4-forces-of-growth   ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----     Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

What would we do if we paid $44 USD Billion for a business that was losing 4 million dollars a day? It's no different than buying any business, you're either going to let it run, or extract and create more value through a turnaround.  We talk about what we would do if we bought Twitter, and what you should consider if you're buying a business.    ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 132 Onboarded - What is onboarding and why does it matter? >> See Episode 133 Onboarded - The problem with new hires who are a good fit >> See Episode 134 Onboarded - What's your Onboarding debt? >> See Episode 53 What is a Topgrading Job Scorecard and how do you use it?     Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

What tools do you need to use for an effective onboarding process?  First, you must document what success looks like in the role after the onboarding. Second, you must build a plan to ensure the new hire understands how to succeed in the role. The role scorecard should include the job purpose, responsibilities, measurable metrics and expectations of the new hire. The onboarding sprint plan should be a detailed weekly list of agenda items over perhaps 13 weeks which incorporates all the aspects of the role scorecard.  This week, in part 4 of 4, we talk about the two tools from Brad's new book Onboarded, the role scorecard and the onboarding sprint plan.    ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 132 Onboarded - What is onboarding and why does it matter? >> See Episode 133 Onboarded - The problem with new hires who are a good fit >> See Episode 134 Onboarded - What's your Onboarding debt? >> See Episode 53 What is a Topgrading Job Scorecard and how do you use it?     Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

What is onboarding debt, and how can you calculate your onboarding debt? When people don't understand how to succeed in a new role, they do what they think is right. But that might not be the right thing. They won't understand the culture, the technical and process expectations and your expectations as their manager. Onboarding debt is the liability you carry with each new hire. More onboarding debt means a less successful team. We talk about Brad's new book Onboarded and how every new hire you employ carries a liability from what they don't understand, known as onboarding debt.  ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 132 Onboarded - What is onboarding and why does it matter? >> See Episode 133 Onboarded - The problem with new hires who are a good fit >> See Episode 53 What is a Topgrading Job Scorecard and how do you use it?     Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

Many people refer to a person as a good fit (they are still here) or a bad fit (they left). This creates a mindset problem when we think about new hires. We can then think that new hires are pre-determined to be a good or bad fit, and it's outside our control. And worse, any effort to make them fit is a wasted effort. Because this mindset tells us there's no point in spending time if someone is a bad fit. Hiring can be viewed as a “deal done”. We can consider that a good hiring process will produce a good fit, and if they are a good fit, and we spend minimal time with them, they will still be OK - because they're a good fit. But fit is not binary, fit is a spectrum.   We talk about Brad's new book Onboarded and the problem with the phrase 'good fit' and why instead we should use the phrase 'successful fit'. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 132 Onboarded - What is onboarding and why does it matter? >> See Episode 53 What is a Topgrading Job Scorecard and how do you use it?     Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

What is onboarding, and why does it matter? In this first of four episodes, we're discussing Brad's new book Onboarded, how to bring new hires to the point where they are effective faster. We discuss what onboarding is and what it isn't. We cover how 83% of organisations aren't realising the benefits of an effective onboarding process and why onboarding really matters to your team and your results.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 53 What is a Topgrading Job Scorecard and how do you use it? >> See Episode 22 Bringing a new leader or executive into a leadership team     Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

How can you leverage the Stockdale Paradox in this economy? During these turbulent times, with major events that are out of your control which could impact your company, how can you maintain composure and results? The Stockdale Paradox from Jim Collins can be defined as  - you must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time, have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. This week we're talking about the Stockdale Padarox, how it applies to the current economic environment, and how you can use this principle to survive and thrive through these uncertain times.      ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 49 - 49 Are you a genius with 1,000 helpers? If so, how do you become a level 5 leader? >> See Episode 77 The curse of being in a great leadership team >> See Episode 24 How do you get a leadership team to think strategically?   Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

What are Jim Collins Level 5 leaders? Level 5 leadership is a concept developed in the book Good to Great. Level 5 leaders display a powerful mixture of personal humility and indomitable will. They're incredibly ambitious, but their ambition is first and foremost for the cause, for the organization and its purpose, not themselves. While Level 5 leaders can come in many personality packages, they are often self-effacing, quiet, reserved, and even shy. This week we discuss what makes a level 5 leader, why level 5 leadership matters, and the challenge that comes with being a level 4 leader. Also, we provide examples that we've seen where individuals and companies have successfully built level 5 leadership.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 49 - 49 Are you a genius with 1,000 helpers? If so, how do you become a level 5 leader? >> See Episode 77 The curse of being in a great leadership team >> See Episode 24 How do you get a leadership team to think strategically?   Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

How can you identify A players during an interview? There is no substitute for a team of A players. The higher the percentage of A players that you have in your team for longer, the greater the chance of the team's success. How do you know when you've got an A player - or potential - on your hands? This week we discuss the four things you must do to know how to identify A players during an interview and how to validate A players beyond that.      ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 92 Meeting Rhythm - The Monthly Leadership Team meeting >> See Episode 77 The curse of being in a great leadership team >> See Episode 24 How do you get a leadership team to think strategically?   Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

Is your leadership team too big?  There's a real challenge that comes with having too many people in a meeting or in a team. Some leaders want to be all-inclusive and can end up with too many people in the room, or others can end up with too few people.    Each of these can come with a set of second-order consequences that can negatively affect the effectiveness of the team.  And then the performance of the business.    The challenge here is that the leadership team naturally expands in most companies for deeper insights into the business, more expertise, buy-in and their own development. Unfortunately, it is hard to un-invite and these larger teams can become ineffective. In this episode, we discuss definitions of executive teams, and leadership teams, talking about the guides you should use for maximum effectiveness, and what you should watch out for.      ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 92 Meeting Rhythm - The Monthly Leadership Team meeting >> See Episode 77 The curse of being in a great leadership team >> See Episode 24 How do you get a leadership team to think strategically?   Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

How do you deal with an executive that is underperforming? Executives are the most impactful and important roles in your company.  Weak executives create weak teams, which start to rot the company from the inside out. Sometimes we have good people who we trust, but they perform at a B level. They score high on the core values but score low on productivity. These people can be difficult to deal with, and exceptionally difficult to deal with if it's a CEO dealing with a B performer executive.  This week we talk about stories we've seen where leaders have dealt with a B player executive well and stories where they haven't dealt with it well. Also, we explain how to deal with this situation.    ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 71 How to use SMART goals with your team >> See Episode 72 How the best leaders hold people accountable (part 1 of 2) >> See Episode 73 How the best leaders hold people accountable (part 2 of 2) >> See Episode 123 Seven important things to develop your mid managers   Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

What happens when managers tell you people are leaving for more money? As a leader, your direct reports will tell you that a team member of theirs has left for more money. The problem is that it's an easy excuse, that actually leads to never fixing attrition issues. Instead, what if you didn't accept that answer and asked them for the real answer? In this episode, we discuss the data about why people leave jobs, and you can use that data to develop a better operational culture.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 114 The CEO has only one tool     Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

Sometimes you're clear about a change that needs to happen, but team members might resist that change. It doesn't make sense. You understand why and how the change is required, but team members are resisting that change in perhaps an illogical or unreasonable way. In this episode, Kevin and Brad discuss what to do when your team resists change, and we refer to Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, which is listed below. 1- Create Urgency. The first step is to create a sense of urgency about the need for change. 2- Put A Team Together. 3- Develop Vision and Strategies. 4- Communicate the Change Vision. 5- Remove Obstacles. 6- Set Short-Term Goals. 7- Keep the Momentum. 8- Make The Change Stick.         ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 114 The CEO has only one tool     Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

What makes a bad strategic plan? According to Harvard Business School, 92% of business plans fail due to poor execution, and so getting a plan that succeeds, is difficult. Your strategy should clearly explain your direction, and how you will be different from your competition. Then, your execution plan should detail specifically where to commit your resources of time and money to ensure you execute that strategy.  In this episode, Kevin and Brad discuss five things that make a bad strategic plan, and how you can avoid those, to build more effective strategic plans, that succeed more often.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 85 Getting the most from your strategic planning framework >> See Episode 90 Annual Strategic thinking meeting >> See Episode 117 The biggest problem with most Flywheels (part one of two)    Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

How do you develop your mid-managers? As companies grow, the gap tends to be in the middle management and, as they are so busy working, they rarely get the development time, resources and attention needed for the growth that is required to develop talent from within. As a result, we end up having to hire many external team members to strengthen the team - more than many companies would like. And the existing team gets stagnant. In the end, every team ends up with its own university. An internal learning centre to help people grow. But what do you do until you get to 1,000+ employees when that happens? In this episode, Brad and Kevin talk about the seven important things you can do to develop your mid-managers.       ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 55 Building a people magnet machine >> See Episode 67 Why should people want to work for your company? >> See Episode 46 Jim Collins Seven questions for people decisions   Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

What does it mean to fire bullets before cannonballs? Often leaders are too bold or, alternatively, too conservative. Instead of taking too much or too little risk, the concept of firing bullets before cannonballs asks leaders to validate an idea with a series of small, low-risk experiments. Once you have validated your idea, then you can concentrate your resources on a big bet idea.  From Jim Collins - “The ability to turn small proven ideas (bullets) into huge hits (cannonballs) counts more than the sheer amount of pure innovation.” No one is smart enough or experienced enough to know what will or won't work. Only the market can tell us that. People intuitively say something will definitely succeed OR definitely fail. But we don't know. In this episode, Brad and Kevin talk about the fire bullets before cannonballs concept, why it matters and how you can use it in your business.      ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 86 Productive Paranoia and why it's a critical leadership tool >> See Episode 9 Cheating vs Innovation, Entrepreneur to CEO   Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

Leaders often waste a lot of time on decisions because meeting delegates are not well prepared with the information needed or aren't well-disciplined with a process that can lead to an effective and quick decision. In order to be a more effective leader, effective decision-making in meetings is crucial. Also, the format of rules and engagement to discuss, debate and decide impacts the effectiveness of meetings.  In this episode, Brad and Kevin discuss how to achieve effective decision-making during presentations and meetings.      ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ -----   Related episodes >> See Episode 58 Collective intelligence, the key to a successful weekly meeting >> See Episode 92 Meeting Rhythm - The Monthly Leadership Team meeting >> See Episode 114 The CEO has only one tool (Meetings)   Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

The 20 Mile March is a concept developed by Jim Collins in the book Great by Choice. Enterprises that prevail in turbulence self-impose a rigorous performance mark to hit with great consistency—like hiking across the United States by marching at least 20 miles a day, every day. The march imposes order amidst disorder, discipline amidst chaos, and consistency amidst uncertainty. The 20 Mile March works only if you actually hit your march year after year; if you set a 20 Mile March and then fail to achieve it, you may well get crushed by events. Having a clear 20 Mile March focuses the mind; because everyone on the team knows the markers and their importance, they can stay on track. Financial markets are out of your control. Customers are out of your control. Earthquakes are out of your control. Global competition is out of your control. Technological change is out of your control. Most everything is ultimately out of your control. But when you 20 Mile March, you have a tangible point of focus that keeps you and your team moving forward, despite the confusion, uncertainty, and even chaos.  The 20 Mile March concept by Jim Collins is critically important right now because; Inflationary prices are out of your control. Supply chain issues are out of your control. Pandemics are out of your control. Global shipping rates are out of your control. Interest rates are out of your control. Everything is probably outside your control.   But when you have a 20 Mile March, you have a tangible point of focus that keeps you and your team moving forward, despite the confusion, uncertainty, and even chaos.  In this episode, we talk about The 20 Mile March concept By Jim Collins, and why you should consider it in your business. We list how to use it, and provide examples of businesses 20 mile metrics.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

SMaC Recipe is a concept developed in the book Great by Choice. A SMaC recipe is a set of durable operating practices that creates a replicable, consistent success formula. The word "SMaC" stands for Specific, Methodical, and Consistent. A solid SMaC recipe is the operating code for turning strategic concepts into reality, a set of practices more enduring than mere tactics. It is like the U.S. Constitution, both durable and practical, yet also amendable. Great companies and social enterprises change their SMaC recipe no more than about 20 percent per decade, so a key SMaC question is, What is the right 20 percent to change? In this episode, we discuss why SMaC recipes are important, and why they help companies maintain discipline. Also we provide several SMaC examples and outline how to build a SMaC recipe.   ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

  There's a big problem with most flywheels, and it's the main reason they're destined to fail. The Flywheel Concept originated from Jim Collins' book Good to Great and outlines a series of actions that a business takes in order to build momentum in the business. The Flywheel Concept is designed to build ever-increasing momentum and growth in a business, thereby making the business more successful over time.  The successful flywheels that are provided as examples are built after a deep understanding of the business's fundamentals, and yet today we see many people showcasing flywheels that are never going to build momentum in a business.  In this episode two of two, we discuss five things to ensure that your flywheel will fire up and build momentum over time, and what to watch out for.     ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

  There's a big problem with most flywheels, and it's the main reason they're destined to fail. The Flywheel Concept originated from Jim Collins' book Good to Great and outlines a series of actions that a business takes in order to build momentum in the business. The Flywheel Concept is designed to build ever-increasing momentum and growth in a business, thereby making the business more successful over time.  The successful flywheels that are provided as examples are built after a deep understanding of the business's fundamentals, and yet today we see many people showcasing flywheels that are never going to build momentum in a business.  In this episode one of two, we discuss five things to ensure that your flywheel will build momentum over time, and not end up a waste of time. ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share

Is your culture really aligned with your core values? Sometimes there can be a difference between what your core values state, and what is really happening in the culture. And this can make the leaders of a business look like they don't know, don't understand or worse are incompetent to team members.  Therefore the core values of the business must align with the culture that people observe and live every day. In this episode we talk about seven things you can do to ensure that your culture is aligned with your core values.         ----- * Do you love The Growth Whisperers and want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our YouTube channel. * Do you enjoy our content? Rate our show! * Follow us on Twitter @Evolution_Perth and @lawrenceandco1 Learn more about building enduring great companies. -----   ----- Links: *https://evolutionpartners.com.au/ *https://lawrenceandco.com/ ----- Additional episodes you might enjoy: # 50 Jim Collins Flywheel Concept: How to build unstoppable momentum in your company # 16 Jim Collins # 84 The 7 common strategy mistakes from Michael Porter # 43 The top 7 best practices for weekly meetings  # 69 What is a Topgrading virtual bench and why you need one # 88 The hidden cost of not having a team of all A-Players # 96 The three main barriers to consistent growth # 83 Why strategy should focus on producing more profit - not market share