BLOG
Talk, talk, talk – and then talk some more
Talk, talk, talk – and then talk some more. Humans are not designed to think their way out of things (strategies, depression, fear, ideas); we
How Bill Gates Approaches Problem Solving: Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
While Bill Gates is known for innovative thinking, his approach to achieving major goals leans heavily on the intelligence of others. “Ever since I was
6 steps to Create a Winning Annual Plan for 2020-2021 – Best Practices from working with top CEOs
Table of Contents: Before Session: Appoint a Skilled Annual Planning Facilitator Prep Work: Getting Ready for Your Annual Planning Session During Session: Step 1: Review
How to Facilitate A Strategic Planning Session in 2020 (Even Virtual)
Great strategic meetings don’t happen by accident. They happen because someone is committed to THINKING through the purpose and outcome, PLANNING all of the details
Covid-19: Go-Forward Planning & Questions to Consider
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” – Mike Tyson Before March 2020, world markets were in full swing and unemployment
12 Steps for Topgrading Interviews: The Key to Hiring Well
The recruiting and hiring process is time-consuming and expensive. So, at the end of it, you want to do everything you can to be sure
Can You Break Through?
Can you believe there are predictable evolutions and revolutions as any organisation grows? As an organization scales up, there is added complexity with the addition
BHAG — Why The Most Successful Companies Set Ambitious, Long-Term Goals & Why Yours Should Too
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years.” — Bill Gates It might seem
Is the Pulse of your Organization (Its Meeting Rhythms) Healthy?
Do you know what the No. 1 problem people face when working together? It’s communication. Meetings, if done correctly, improve communication. They provide focus, alignment
Intelligent Work Can Help CEOs Close the Strategy Execution Gap (White Paper Summary)
Cindy Praeger A fairly significant body of research now clearly shows that the reason why a number of mid-to-large companies face is not because their
Want to learn the secret to hiring more A Players? Use the Topgrading corporate hiring and interviewing methodology.
Proven Success If simply swapping out your hiring and interviewing process to achieve drastically better results and avoid costly mis-hires sounds a bit too good
Implement KPIs – Part 2
If your company never developed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or it has some but you’re not finding them particularly effective, here’s some information you can
Implement KPI’s – Part 1
Is your company struggling to achieve the results you want? If so, it’s time to look at the set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) you
Leadership & Accountability – How To Build Team Accountability
Most people, leaders included, want to operate in an environment where individuals do what they say they are going to do. By being reliable, they
What’s Your Leadership Style?
Do you know your leadership style? Just like awareness of your communication style and Myers-Briggs type, knowing your leadership style can help you understand your
How a Strategy Council Guides Strategic Thinking and Execution Planning
Somewhere along the line we all got enamoured with the term strategic planning. But, according to Verne Harnish it’s better to think of strategic planning
KPIs CEOs Should Watch
Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) rely on key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge the health and vitality of their companies as well as to measure progress
KPI Examples for your Leadership Team
CEOs need easy access to a few key performance indicators to monitor how healthy the business is at a given point in time. It’s imperative
10 Rockefeller Habits — The Only Framework You Need To Scale Your Business NOW
In 2014, Essilor International purchased Canadian eyewear company Coastal.com for CAD$430 million, in what was the most significant investment in an e-commerce company in Canadian
Why the 15-Minute Daily Huddle is Critical to Scale Up Your Business
In his book, Scaling Up, Verne Harnish covers four different types of meetings every organization should regularly have to address communication challenges and make important
Things To Know – The Resilience of Costco
The Resilience of Costco (thank you to Tim Ferriss & Verne Harnish) — Tim Ferriss highlighted this “article” on Costco. Notes Ferriss, in his 5-Bullet
How Weekly Meetings Can Accelerate Your Firm’s Growth, Keep Everyone Motivated, And Achieve Your #1 Priority
With thanks to the Gazelles Growth Institute for permission to republish this blog Not to sound like a broken record going on and on about
Can Your Business Survive The Inevitable Growth Paradox?
You can’t sustain profitable growth in a competitive market if you’re a disaster internally, and you can’t maintain a high-performance culture internally for long if
4 Key Decisions To Scale A Mid-Market Company
Recently, the Gazelles Growth Institute wanted to find out and address the biggest pain point business leaders of mid-market companies in the current market. The
No.1 Most Important Character Trait of Top-Performing CEO’s
A quote to contemplate“It’s not the big that eat the small; it’s the fast that eat the slow”.– Jason Jennings. Things to KnowOne of my
Revenue/Employee – do you track this? Or even better Profit/Employee
Each year Fortune magazine releases its Fortune 500 list of US companies. This year Walmart, Exxon Mobile, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, and Amazon made the top
Does information move through your organisation accurately and quickly? If not you need to establish a regular Communication rhythm!
If you ask team members in most organisations how they feel about meetings, you will likely receive a negative response—“They are a waste of time,”
7 Key Systems To Build A Superstar Sales Team
Jack Daly started selling at seven years old. He was making potholders and selling them to mums and grandmums in the neighbourhood. Other kids were
Does your strategy “Kick to the Seagulls”? What can we learn from a great sports coach? (Part 1)
The key question for you: Can you and your team state your firm’s strategy simply — and is it driving sustainable growth in revenue and gross
Leadership Insights: 7 Practical Applications of Artificial Intelligence | End of Bureaucracy | Benefits of “Walk & talk” with your customers
Hi, I hope it’s been a productive and purposeful week. Here are some leadership insights/opportunities to help you outlearn/outthink the competition. cheers, Jonathan A quote
Why A One Page Vision Summary Is Critical For Your Business Growth And How To Create Your Own
There is an object in the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies that aptly sums up what we’re going to talk about in this article —
Did you know that a Core Purpose/Mission can increase returns by 400 percent!
Your Core Purpose/Mission – Why You Should Start With Asking “Why?” When you consider your company’s Core Purpose, what comes to mind? If the first
Jim Collins & Flywheel | Hilton Hotels | Verne Harnish | Atlassian | One Page Personal Plan
Hi, I hope it’s been a productive and purposeful month so far. From leadership and strategy to managing yourself and others, my Leadership Insights offer practical
Why are Core Values and Corporate Culture so Important?
Will the scathing report from the Royal Commission into misconduct in the Australian banking industry be the wake-up call for corporate Australia to focus on
Jim Collins & Tim Ferris Podcast | Patrick Lencioni – 5 Dysfunctions of a Team | How Google Managers Coach Employees
Hi, I hope it’s been a productive and purposeful month so far. From leadership and strategy to managing yourself and others, my Leadership Insights offer
What is the No. 1 job of your company?
What is the No. 1 job of your company? Generate revenue by making sales? Make the world a better place? Provide a livelihood for you
The Key Question for Managers to Ask Every Day that will lead a great employee culture
John Ratliff is the Managing Director of Gazelles Coaches. He recently shared with our coaching community the one key question that he believes Managers should
How to Break Through the Inevitable Barriers to Growth that you will encounter Scaling Up your company
This white paper, the first in a two-part series, turns the spotlight on the peaks, valleys and plateaus you will inevitably face as your business
Book Review – Multipliers
Multipliers By Liz Wiseman A Wall Street Journal bestseller that explores why some leaders drain capability and intelligence while others amplify it to produce better
Scaling Up Growth Workshop
Are you a CEO or business leader who is frustrated with your business growth rate, and you know there is a better way to scale?
Book Review: The Inside Advantage
The Inside Advantage: The Strategy That Unlocks The Hidden Growth in Your Business By Robert H. Bloom Reviewed by: Jonathan Herps Category: Strategy Rating:
Would You Fire Someone to Protect Your Core Values?
The sign of a great company is one that religiously defends their core values. Core values are the anchor that keeps your business grounded. The
Book Review – Good to Great: Why some companies make the leap and others don’t.
Good to Great: Why some companies make the leap and others don’t. Author: Jim Collins Category: Strategy Rating: 5 Stars Who should read this book:
Business Can Learn About the Importance of Core Values From the Aussie Cricket Team
Whether you are a Cricket Captain or Business Leader – living by your core values creates a winning culture. The underlying factor in the Australian
Book Review – The Five Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni – Why Read This?
“Patrick Lencioni’s combination of homey management truths and simple prose has struck a chord with business leaders tired of jargon and complicated strategic models.” —The Wall
Book Review – WHO: The A Method for Hiring
Who: The A Method for Hiring Author: Geoff Smart and Randy Street Category: People Rating: 5 Stars Who should read this book: Growth focused business
Book Review – Scaling Up: Mastering the Rockefeller Habits 2.0
Scaling Up: Mastering the Rockefeller Habits 2.0 How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t Author: Verne Harnish Rating: 5 stars Who should
One Page Personal Plan
In my years of helping others scale their businesses, I hate but to notice that for too many executives, their personal relationships suffer as they