Growth Insights
Insights, strategies, and real-world lessons to help you build a smarter, stronger company
I’ve always struggled with the idea of the “Integrator”—a person who runs your business while you focus on being the “Visionary.” In 2015, Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters published Rocket Fuel, promoting the concept of hiring an Integrator to free visionary entrepreneurs from the burden of managing their businesses. According to Wickman’s Entrepreneurial Operating […]
Setting priorities is one of the hardest things for an entrepreneur… Wait—scratch that. Setting priorities is easy. Sticking to them is hard. Actually, both are hard. Let me explain why and what you can do about it. First, let’s talk about why setting quarterly priorities (Rocks or OKRs) is so challenging: Why Sticking to Priorities […]
As a young investment banker, I grew up inspired by the legendary leverage buyout (LBO) stories of the 1980s. One of my favorites was Barbarians at the Gate, which chronicled the 1989 bidding war for RJR Nabisco. The deal ended when Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) “won” with a staggering $31 billion bid —nearly […]
In 2007, Gino Wickman famously declared in Traction: “Everybody should have a number.” The idea is simple: every employee should focus on a specific KPI (Key Performance Indicator) to optimize business performance. It’s a great concept, but here’s the real question: How do you actually figure out your team’s Killer KPIs? KPI Basics Before diving […]
In a 1994 PBS documentary, Steve Jobs famously said: “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” You might think, “Well, that’s easy for Jobs to say. He had the resources to hire top-tier executives. I […]
“If you’re not growing, you’re dying” is one of those overused phrases that still manages to hit home. Why? Because flat business growth isn’t just unsustainable—it’s a flashing neon sign of deeper issues. Inflation erodes profits, competitors steal market share, and ambitious employees look elsewhere for opportunities. Here’s the truth: If your business isn’t growing, […]
Do You Have the DESIRE to Succeed? I’ve long suspected that business success, like any noble endeavor, ultimately depends on DESIRE. Skeptical? Here’s a question: What’s the one indispensable component for building a successful business? Is it IDEAS? Nope. Ideas are everywhere. Since 1968, attempts to create a tablet included the Dynabook, the GRIDPad, and […]
For years, I’ve noticed a pattern with small to midsize companies. They go through cycles of intense activity and success, followed by burnout and stagnation. It left me wondering, why do they do this to themselves? Wouldn’t consistent, stable performance be more productive and less stressful? Then I had a flashback to my college days—nights […]
Do you want to grow your business? If your answer is yes, here’s some bad news: growth comes with its fair share of pain, often showing up as chaos that you might not be used to seeing in your business. Let me explain. If you’re running a business that’s treading water, you might feel uneasy […]
Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS) is a condition recognized by many entrepreneurs. It’s that urge to impulsively start “promising” projects, launch new products and services, and dabble in miracle marketing methods. Pretty soon, your company is stretched thin trying to manage both your legacy business and these shiny new ideas. Sadly, many of these ideas don’t […]
If you’re familiar with business operating systems like Scaling Up, EOS, Pinnacle, or Summit OS, you’ve heard about Rocks. They go back to Stephen Covey’s “rocks-pebbles-sand” analogy, showing how important initiatives should always trump urgent tasks in your business (and life). Less is more. I believe Rocks are about carving out time to work on […]
Fear is normal for an entrepreneur. If you never feel fear, it means you’re not failing, which means you’re not trying new things—and if you’re not trying new things, you’re not growing your business. Entrepreneurs often oscillate between euphoria and fear. One doesn’t happen without the other. Fear and anxiety are the “morning after” effects […]
