The Elephant Catchers

1. Embrace the Idea of Scale: From Start-up to Sustainable Growth

Those who do not embrace the notion of size and cannot enjoy magnitude will always have problems with it.

Scale is imperative. In today's competitive environment, organizations are compelled to shed their baby-fat quickly. Knowledge about that knowledge is no longer scarce, and the internet has taken away the security of a womb-like space for ideas to develop. Whatever your product or service may be, there are likely dozens of others manufacturing the same mousetrap even as you read this.

Overcoming fear of growth. Many people are inherently fearful of the idea of growth. With growth comes flux, which makes many people insecure. Very few people like to work in a large, impersonal set-up where they fear they will lose their identity. To overcome this, leaders must:

• Cultivate peace with size and scale
• Maintain a strong sense of purpose that permeates everything
• Foster self-regulation among employees
• Embrace simplicity in communication, organization, and product design
• Ensure accessibility of leadership at all levels

2. Build a Strategic Sales Force: Hunters, Farmers, and Avoiding Grizzlies

Sales is not witchcraft. It is a science as much as it is an art, and must be managed with the same discipline as product development, manufacturing and servicing.

Understand sales roles. A growing organization needs both hunters (who excel at finding new opportunities) and farmers (who are adept at nurturing long-term relationships). Key points to remember:

• Hunters are good at opening doors but may lose interest after converting a prospect
• Farmers excel at creating long-term relationships and cross-selling
• Avoid "grizzlies" who wait for deals to fall into their laps
• Beware of those who bring in "skunks" - deals that aren't right for the company

Professionalize sales management. To scale operations and secure big business:

• Establish a formal sales training program
• Create a centralized task force for ongoing training
• Invest in a good information system to analyze sales data
• Encourage successful salespeople to continue selling rather than becoming supervisors
• Avoid creating accidental "account managers" from delivery or creative personnel

3. Leverage Consultants Wisely: Maximizing External Expertise

You will invariably get all you need from the consultant in the first six months of engagement. After that, whoever they may be, they are simply repeating themselves.

Engage consultants strategically. When looking to scale, organizations often need external expertise. To maximize the value of consultants:

• Conduct thorough reference checks with the consultant's other clients
• Be clear about expectations and deliverables
• Settle fees and payment terms upfront
• Factor in implementation costs beyond the consultant's fee
• Ensure knowledge transfer to in-house teams for replication
• Demonstrate personal commitment to the engagement

Avoid common pitfalls. When working with consultants:

• Don't feel obligated to implement all recommendations
• Be prepared to end incompatible relationships
• Limit engagements to six months for maximum value
• Avoid building unrealistic expectations without demonstrating willingness to change

4. Cultivate Your Brand: More Than Just a Logo

A brand literally takes birth, grows and ages and, unless it is renewed, it dies and decays. The brand is an expression of an organization's mission, vision, values, its reputation and ambition, and it cannot change unless the core goes through a transformation first.

Brand evolution is crucial. As organizations grow, their brand must evolve to reflect new capabilities and aspirations. This involves:

• Regularly reassessing brand perception among employees and customers
• Aligning brand messaging with the organization's evolving expertise and goals
• Updating visual identity to reflect the company's maturity and market position
• Ensuring the brand resonates with both long-time employees and new recruits

Holistic brand transformation. A successful rebranding exercise:

• Starts with a transformation of the organization's core values and mission
• Involves both internal and external stakeholders
• Addresses all touchpoints, from stationery to workspace design
• Communicates a clear, compelling message about the company's future direction

5. Harness the Power of Media: Building Reputation Strategically

When it comes to dealing with the media, being authentic is a virtue.

Strategic media engagement. To effectively scale reputation through media:

• Understand what the media wants: news, opinion, and thought leadership
• Assess the newsworthiness of information from the media's perspective
• Share opinions judiciously, focusing on areas of genuine expertise
• Develop a long-term communication strategy with professional PR support

Navigate media interactions. Best practices for media engagement include:

• Research journalists before interviews
• Prepare thoroughly, even for short interactions
• Be comfortable saying "I don't know" when necessary
• Handle adverse stories by having respectful, fact-based conversations
• Be mindful of how quotes can be interpreted out of context

6. Foster Corporate Social Responsibility: Beyond Charity

CSR initiatives don't just make businesses credible. They have greater benefits. They awaken the power of inclusion and volunteerism among employees, which rub off on the way they approach their work.

Integrate CSR into business strategy. Modern CSR should:

• Align with the company's mission, vision, and values
• Involve employees at all levels
• Address environmental and social impacts of core business activities
• Build credibility and attract like-minded customers and partners

Create meaningful impact. Effective CSR initiatives:

• Focus on issues close to the company's core business
• Start with one idea and build critical mass before expanding
• Engage in sustained, long-term efforts rather than one-off donations
• Partner wisely with reputable non-profit organizations
• Foster innovation and resilience within the organization

7. Develop Leadership Capacity: Nurturing Future Leaders

Working with people is somewhat like tending to a garden. It is a long-acting process; there is no instant gratification here.

Cultivate future leaders. To ensure sustainable growth:

• Identify potential leaders from within the organization
• Encourage big-picture thinking and visioning beyond functional silos
• Foster continuous learning and adaptability
• Address personal insecurities and vulnerabilities that may hinder growth
• Help leaders accurately assess their strengths and weaknesses

Create a leadership pipeline. Key strategies include:

• Providing personalized mentoring and development plans
• Encouraging leaders to develop their own vision for the future
• Addressing outdated self-perceptions that may limit potential
• Fostering an "I am the new now" mindset that reduces dependence on superiors
• Preparing leaders to work effectively with those they once looked up to

8. Navigate Organizational Change: Adapting to Growth Challenges

Despite good intent, a certain amount of failure, anguish, alienation and disappointment are rites of passage for every growing organization. If self-doubt takes over, it is wise to remember that pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.

Anticipate growth challenges. As organizations scale, they must navigate:

• Evolving relationships among long-term employees
• Changing skill requirements for roles that grow in complexity
• Shifts in compensation philosophy from egalitarian to performance-based
• The need for increased professionalism and decorum as the company grows

Manage transitions effectively. To navigate these changes:

• Recognize that not everyone will scale with the organization
• Provide customized retirement plans for long-term contributors who can't adapt
• Balance informality with necessary protocol as the company grows
• Maintain focus on the larger purpose to overcome self-doubt during difficult transitions

9. Assess and Align Talent: Matching Skills to Roles

Just as you rely on a specialist to diagnose your medical problems, so too with the talent pool in your organization. A growth-seeking organization can achieve acceleration only with the right kind of driver behind the wheel.

Leverage professional assessments. To ensure the right people are in the right roles:

• Engage external experts to assess leadership attributes and competencies
• Identify gaps between current capabilities and future needs
• Use assessments to guide role assignments and development plans
• Recognize that similarity can lead to comfortable mediocrity

Align talent with organizational needs. Key steps include:

• Defining the leadership attributes needed for future success
• Assessing current leaders against these attributes
• Identifying misalignments between individual strengths and role requirements
• Creating customized development plans based on assessment results
• Being willing to make tough decisions, including letting go of misaligned talent

10. Manage Adversity: Thriving Amidst Uncertainty

When extraordinary events overtake us, it is time to do ordinary things extraordinarily well.

Focus on the controllable. During times of crisis or uncertainty:

• Concentrate on executing tasks within your control with increased diligence
• Maintain transparency and frequent communication with stakeholders
• Invest in training and development during slow periods
• Engage top management in frontline activities
• Seek external help to maintain internal cohesion

Maintain perspective. To navigate challenging times:

• Recognize that both irrational exuberance and doomsday prophecies are often wrong
• Assess your organization's position realistically (e.g., the vegetable seller analogy)
• Listen to dissenting voices but don't be discouraged by prophets of doom
• Remember that survival is predominantly a state of mind
• Focus on timeless leadership principles, such as effective communication and decision-making

Last updated: October 11, 2024