"...insights for scaleups" ( Print-friendly Version > ) HEADLINES: I need to change the mindset of this company...from a 'know it all' culture to a 'learn it all' culture.' | | Satya Nadella, CEO Microsoft |
Outlearn the Competition -- a dozen top biz thought leaders in addition to eight ScaleUpX speakers (successful leaders of mid-market firms) will keynote our upcoming ScaleUp Summit Oct 16 - 17, Denver. Learning is not a "nice to have" it's a "must have" in today's information-driven economy as the top market cap companies in the world have learned (below). See you in Denver. Learn It All Culture -- at almost $900 billion in market cap, Microsoft is the third largest market cap firm in the world behind Apple and Amazon and just ahead of Alphabet (hint, pick a name that starts with the letter "A"). This 4+ minute Fortune interview of Microsoft's EVP of Biz Dev Peggy Johnson gives insights into the unbelievable turnaround of this tech giant and how it has become nimble again. One key was CEO Nadella's focus on creating a "learn it all" culture. The second is highlighted at the 3:52 mark where Peggy describes how every Microsoft employee knows and is focused on Microsoft's mission, which she shares. The key is that CEO Nadella repeats this statement and a handful of ambitions at EVERY weekly executive all-hands meeting. It's worth a few seconds to hear her talk about this - then watch the entire 4 minutes. What is Your Weekly Mantra? -- what are the messages you're going to share meeting after meeting after meeting - from the quarterly theme to the company's purpose/BHAG. As Peggy Johnson mentions in the interview, you can't just check off a box that you have these strategy decisions. You need to stay on message by repeating them a lot - this is what leaders of major companies like Microsoft do - simple and effective. So just do it!! Learn to Think Like Steve Jobs -- so what was Steve Jobs' final "project." It wasn't a product, it was Apple University - his succession plan. One of the best kept secrets still today, my partner Daniel Marcos found this Deloitte posted blog. Notes the blog: According to Apple, the company founded Apple University in 2008 "to teach Apple employees how to think like Steve Jobs and make decisions he would make." In many ways it was built to solve the problem of "running Apple after Steve Jobs" - and setting in place the tools and information which helps Apple learn from his collective 30 years of wisdom. |
It goes on to note: ...the University is designed around capturing Job's collective learning and translating this into content, programs, and materials which Apple employees and leaders can use long into the future. |
Please take 2 minutes to read the entire piece. Hopefully the tools within Scaling Up serve as a foundation for best practices in scaling your firm - and our educational and coaching services help you keep everyone educated. MSP's Growing 5x GDP -- I keynoted IT Glue's customer conference last week. Chris Day, founder and CEO, is riding a fast growth firm in a fast growth industry - the Managed Service Provider (MSP) space. It's fun to see mid-market firms growing so fast given the kind of "wind at their back" market forces swirling around them. Yet, they also face some challenges. In this interview for Channel Partners Online I share 3 things MSPs (and most mid-market firms) do poorly - Pricing, Targeting, and Marketing. Please take 2 minutes to skim through the three ideas. Strategy Webinar 12pm ET Oct. 4 -- Dr. Kaihan Krippendorff, author of OUTThink the Competition, has captured the essence of strategy and given us a truly fresh language to guide and enhance the process. He will be sharing that on October 4th. Register here: Kaihan is a dear friend of mine and a great business strategist who has consulted an impressive list of outstanding companies, including Sotheby's, TedX, Kraft, NASA, and Google. I'm so excited to announce that Kaihan has agreed to share his insights on the secrets to outthinking the competition and creating disruptive innovation. You don't want to miss this free webinar on October 4th. Click here to register: CEO-BOOTCAMP: spend 3.5 days with Verne, serial entrepreneur John Ratliff, and 6 other CEOs in a beautiful retreat setting, addressing the constraints holding back you, your business, and your industry. October 2 - 5; January 15 - 18, 2019. EXITING: Thinking about selling the business for $40 million or more? Want to get 25% to 200% more than you thought? Request the whitepaper from the Exit Strategies Summit at Harvard from Denise Richmond at (610) 299-6466 or email at drichmond@stscapital.com EDUCATION: ScaleUp in Denver or from your boardroom - The Fall ScaleUp Summit in Denver (16-17 October, 2018) is nearing capacity, with 800+ business leaders and 12 bestselling business authors gathering together to focus on high-growth strategies. Register now to reserve your space -- preferred seating available for teams of three or more. Can't travel? LiveStream one or both days and share it with your entire leadership team, all for one price. Click here to register for live streaming. ScaleUp Summit Fall 2018 Denver, CO - Oct 16-17, 2018 Scaling Up User Conference Fall 2018 Denver, CO - Oct 18, 2018 Scaling Up Business Growth Workshops
Moore, OK - Sep 28, 2018 Dallas, TX - Oct 25, 2018 San Diego, CA - Nov 6, 2018 Oklahoma City, OK - Nov 8, 2018 Los Angeles, CA - Nov 8, 2018 Denver, CO - Nov 15, 2018 Melbourne, Australia - Nov 20, 2018 Sydney, Australia - Dec 4, 2018 Orange County, CA - Dec 18, 2018 San Francisco, CA - Jan 24, 2019 Los Angeles, CA - Feb 28, 2019
COACHING: Have you ever wondered if working with a coach might accelerate your company's growth, exponentially? Do you have what it takes to move the dial from good to great? Contact us at coaching@scalingup.com for more information or visit https://coaches.scalingup.com/. TECHNOLOGY: Create Accountability - Drive Execution with Align, cloud-based software designed to scale up your Rockefeller Habits implementation. www.alignwithgazelles.com - on your computer, tablet or phone. Click here to watch an introductory video. Better Book Club -- What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com. Gazelle's Growth Institute® Online Executive Education Baseline Selling - Dave Kurlan Creativity and Personal Mastery - Srikumar Rao Daring Caution Approach to Pricing - Robert Sherlock Fearless Leaders - Cathy Greenberg How to Create Leadership at Every Level - David Marquet Mastering the Complex Sale - Jeff Thull Nail It Then Scale It - Paul Ahlstrom Sumo Advantage - Bernie Brenner The Seven Imperatives of Great CEO's - John Wilson Why Growth Companies Stop Growing - Dave Power Online Master Practitioner Certification courses Topgrading Mastering the Rockefeller Habits Did you miss previous insights? - read here Read Verne's Insights on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SX13YI Sign up for Verne's Weekly Insights |