Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2019

Most of you aspiring entrepreneurs have no idea how dramatically your own role has to evolve as you develop a solution, start a business, and expect it to scale into a successful self-managed company. Here is an outline of the stages that we both see: Envision, implement, sell, and manage every step.

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Leadership Technical Review Cofounder Social Media 248

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2020

One of the things I’ve learned in working with aspiring entrepreneurs is that managing and leading a team is a scary venture into the unknown for many people, even if they have worked as a business professional for years. Understand both leadership and management. You don’t have to be a boss to be a leader or a manager.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 13, 2019

In businesses, this requires a new internal culture and leadership. Yet I believe the role and requirements continue to evolve, as detailed in the classic book, “ Innovation by Design ,” by Thomas Lockwood and Edgar Papke, based on their studies. Use curious confrontation to manage disagreement and conflict.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

I saw this challenge highlighted well in a new book, “ Leadership Skills that Inspire Incredible Results ,” by Fred Halstead. The job of an entrepreneur is a big one, so you can’t afford to be a “control freak” or a “micro-manager.” You can’t afford the delay. Afraid that delegating means losing control.

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Leadership Technical Review Due Diligence Founder 241

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2021

The CEO must focus on key management team hires and assume a few mistakes which need to get fixed. As one company Chairman says, "The common elements I see in first time CEO's: a) they don't hire fast enough, b) they don't fire fast enough, and c) they don't manage their board and investors well." Provide effective leadership.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2022

One 11-year study of over 200 companies over a decade ago, detailed in the book “ Corporate Culture and Performance ,” found that those working on their culture improved revenue by 516%, and increased net income by 755%. I saw a good summary of these in the classic book, “ Ethical Leadership ,” by Andrew Leigh, an expert in this area.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2018

One of the things I’ve learned in working with aspiring entrepreneurs is that managing and leading a team is a scary venture into the unknown for many people, even if they have worked as a business professional for years. Understand both leadership and management. You don’t have to be a boss to be a leader or a manager.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2021

In both cases, it’s easy for them to become frustrated and give up, since most have never been trained in change management, and don’t even know what questions to ask. Phil Buckley, in his book “ Change With Confidence ,” provides practical answers to fifty of the biggest questions that keep change leaders up at night.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2021

I also enjoyed the classic book, “ 63 Innovation Nuggets for Aspiring Innovators ,” by George E. Current research indicates that innovation is a discipline, it can be maximized, measured, and managed through formal processes. Individuals who are innovators are born, not bred. It’s impossible to innovate in a staid complacent culture.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2018

I finally found some real guidance on this challenge in a new book, “ The Fearless Organization ,” by Amy C. She presents a wealth of case studies on the pain and business losses from this type of leadership and culture, and provides some practical guidance on how to change it to a more psychologically safe and productive workplace.

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Management Technical Review Social Media Hiring 239

YoungUpstarts

JULY 10, 2020

by Deb Boelkes, author of “ Heartfelt Leadership: How to Capture the Top Spot and Keep on Soaring “ Happy employees are the best kind. In my book “ Heartfelt Leadership ” I laid out the path to heartfelt leadership. Donald Stamets, general manager for the Flagship Solage, an Auberge resort, agrees.

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Duct Tape Marketing

JULY 11, 2024

Beginning with the Metronome effect, In our conversation, Shannon Susko defines the Metronomics framework and explains how it can revolutionize the way CEOs and leadership teams approach growth, strategy, and execution. Visit DTM world slash scale to book your free advisory call and learn more. It's time to transform your approach.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2022

Based on many years of experience in business as an executive and consultant, I have long been convinced that emotional intelligence (EQ or EI) in leadership wins over logical intelligence (IQ) every time. Thus, I was pleased to see the steps detailed in a new book, “ The Emotionally Strong Leader ,” by Carolyn Stern.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

Innovation driven by the next crisis is not leadership. I remember the classic book, “ The Three-Box Solution: A Strategy for Leading Innovation ,” by Vijay Govindarajan, one of the world’s leading experts on strategy and innovation.

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Framework Engineer Leadership Revenue 402

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

Providing business leadership is a challenge under the best of circumstances, but it is especially difficult in times of market and customer crises. Both authors have managed their own companies through multiple crises, and are graduates of the Harvard Business School. Every case is a new one where prior experience won’t help you.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2020

These were outlined well, with some good recommendations for overcoming them, in the classic book, “ Rocket Fuel ,” by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Again, the solution is a partner who is the voice of reason, who filters all of the visionary’s ideas, and helps eliminate hurdles, stumbling blocks, and barriers for the whole leadership team.

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Feld Thoughts

JUNE 11, 2021

Since releasing my newest book The Entrepreneur’s Weekly Nietzsche: A Book for Disruptors I’ve been continually getting the questions “Why Philosophy and Entrepreneurship?” We no longer had to spend our time managing people and had figured out where our bread was buttered. Dave worried about paying rent.

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YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 6, 2020

In his new book, “Tech Debt 2.0 : How to Future Proof Your Small Business and Improve Your Tech Bottom Line” , senior global business and technology executive Michael C. Rather than leave it up to leadership to connect these dots, my team and I wanted to develop a more intelligent way to uncover these underlying root causes.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2022

Most people will tell you this is impossible, but I found a classic book, “ Army of Entrepreneurs ,” by Jennifer Prosek, where she seems to have actually accomplished this. The entrepreneurial mindset is a function of motivation, priorities, and risk versus reward, all of which you set or enable by your leadership and example.

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Startup Technical Review Employee Hiring 337

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2023

For example, only a few people today still think of Amazon as an online provider of books and related goods, now that they have exploded their business world-wide into every product arena, added web services (AWS), television and film production (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), a bricks-and-mortar grocery chain (Whole Foods), and more.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

During my time in Silicon Valley, I was struck by the fact that most successful entrepreneurs seemed to personally know and regularly hear from all the “movers and shakers” who had the investment capital and leadership they needed. Managing people and results require the ability to track progress and reward the right people.

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Silicon Valley Technical Review Leadership Metrics 284

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2021

Every one of you business owners I know has worked hard to build your brand, and recognizes the critical value of instant brand recognition and leadership. The specifics of these shortcomings are hard to nail down, but I was impressed with the good summary provided in a new book, “ Make It, Don’t Fake It ,” by Sabrina Horn.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2019

I saw a good summary of these in a classic book, “ Ethical Leadership ,” by Andrew Leigh, an expert in this area. Business ethics are more about religion than management or leadership. Ethics can’t be managed. Any given individual may not recognize the moral scope of the issues involved. The reality is different.

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Software Review Offshore Leadership .Net 192

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

Most VCs are book smart. In fact, book smart can be a negative. It felt like there was a wavelength with management and somebody wasn’t on it. EQ and Team Leadership? And let’s be clear – in almost every company there is executive management fighting. Smart is simply not a differentiator.

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Portfolio Chicago Incubator Sales 364

Duct Tape Marketing

AUGUST 31, 2023

The Art Of Modern Leadership written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing Marketing Podcast with Kirstin Ferguson In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast , I interview Kirstin Ferguson. She is Australia’s most prominent leadership expert and a highly experienced business leader in her own right.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2022

Employees are still too often thought of as a commodity, to be acquired “just in time” for the lowest cost, and managed as a disposable asset. For a hands-on guide in developing data-driven people strategies, I found some practical techniques in the classic book, “ The Data Driven Leader ,” by Jenny Dearborn and David Swanson.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2022

Thus I was pleased to see this subject, and related strategy decisions, covered well in a recent book, “ Brand Vision ,” by Jim Everhart. Mr. Everhart distills his leadership insights from many decades in one of the largest business-to-business marketing agencies, working with companies across the country.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2022

In businesses, this requires a new internal culture and leadership. Yet I believe the role and requirements continue to evolve, as detailed in the book, “ Innovation by Design ,” by Thomas Lockwood and Edgar Papke, based on their studies. Use curious confrontation to manage disagreement and conflict.

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Design Dividend Leadership Framework 267

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2020

No matter how talented you are, it doesn’t matter unless managers can see those talents and think of you as an invaluable employee, or a game-changing manager, or the person whose name is synonymous with success. Manage your whole image, rather than ignore it. You are going to need a lot of skills you don’t have right now.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2019

By default, every one of you who owns a business or manages a team has the title of leader, but in my consulting experience, I find that just having the title doesn’t make most of us a leader. I also find that leaders are made, not born , meaning that we all can grow into leadership, if we learn from experience.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2019

As an advisor to business owners, and an occasional angel investor, my job is to separate the actual challenges from the common misconceptions that distract many promising entrepreneurs while building the leadership team required for your solution, marketing, and finance success. It’s the execution that’s hard.

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Bandwidth Software Review Salary Angel Investor 246

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 4, 2023

In the wake of recent struggles , the people you need and want are looking for a new human focus from their leaders and managers in today’s chaotic and competitive labor market. I’m sure you feel this change, and if you are, or want to be, in a leadership role, you need to focus on how to be more human and lead humans.

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Duct Tape Marketing

SEPTEMBER 14, 2024

Gottlieb, an inspirational business leader, and Harvard Business School executive education alumnus, champions a leadership philosophy centered on strategy, empowerment, and consistent execution while founding charitable initiatives like “Windows for a Cause” and “Baths for the Brave.” Yeah, you'd call it a leadership book, I suppose.

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Wisconsin Cofounder Leadership Employee 91

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Many companies don’t reach the next phase either because their leadership doesn’t adapt as an organization or because they don’t design processes that lead to scaled outcomes. An example of the systems companies build are pricing & revenue management tools to best help to optimize yield.

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Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 9, 2021

Matt Blumberg has a new book out titled Startup CXO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Company’s Critical Functions and Teams. It’s a follow-up to his previous book, Startup CEO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Business. The book is 132 chapters broken into 11 sections. I’ve been working with Matt since 2000.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2019

I found some good guidance on this subject in a new book, “ The Leader You Want To Be ,” by Amy Jen Su, a managing partner in an executive coaching and leadership development firm. Thus, in my consulting with entrepreneurs, I always encourage them to get more comfortable asking for help.

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Duct Tape Marketing

AUGUST 22, 2024

As businesses increasingly seek scalable marketing leadership, the demand for fractional CMOs has surged. Leadership: Many businesses lack strategic marketing leadership, especially in the $3 to $30 million range. But not so much the supply. People want to learn and are learning by doing but don’t feel quite there yet.

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