Author: Cameron Harnish

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Sept 30, 2010 4:00:00 PM ET Do you need to be the one in the room seen as having all the answers or do you draw out the genius that’s within others in solving many of the complex problems facing business today? Does everyone seem to get dumber the longer they work for you? The most painful leadership book I’ve ever read is the new bestseller Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman and Greg Mckeown. It raises a fundamental question about leadership, one that has been waiting to be named, explored, and finally …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Sept 30, 2010 4:00:00 PM ET He decided to sell the company the morning he found himself hitting the snooze button on his alarm clock multiple times, dreading the thought of having to go into work. No company better exemplifies the power of a strong corporate culture than Zappos, the online shoe and clothing retailer acquired by Amazon last November for $1.2 billion. Just over a decade old, its corporate culture is the critical glue that helps this rapidly growing company deliver on its promise of providing exceptional customer service – and delivering happiness! To witness …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Sept 30, 2010 4:00:00 PM ET Energy management is more critical than time management, something today’s leaders must understand in (re)-structuring work. Work no more than 90 minutes and then take a break! Do this two more times in a day and you’ll accomplish more in 4.5 hours than those cranking hard for 8 to 12 hours straight. Throw in an occasional Vitamin C IV with glutathione and some deep breathing exercises and you’re good to go for the next decade. I’m oversimplifying the message from executive performance icon Tony Schwartz, but not by much (NOTE: …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Sept 30, 2010 3:00:00 PM ET … you start to experience your own “Ground Hog Day” movie moments, where it feels like you’re reliving the same frustrating day, day in and day out. “We are one of the fastest growing franchises among 39 countries,” notes Niiraj Shah, National Director of BNI-India. “And yes, our 3 hour monthly management meeting involving my four senior managers and nine Regional Directors, our middle managers, has allowed us to be more strategic and work on the business rather than in the business.” The toughest management challenge, as the leader of …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Sept 30, 2010 2:00:00 PM ET In today’s networked economy, having a brilliant, visionary leader alone isn’t enough to keep a company growing. You’ve got to have a well-trained executive and frontline management team to execute the vision-one that can out think the leadership team at rival companies. However, according to a recent McKinsey study, “while frontline employees receive extensive training and development, their managers-who may have had no previous experience leading others-do not. At all levels, executives believe that the little training they do receive fails to prepare them to take on leadership roles successfully.” …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Sept 30, 2010 4:00:00 PM ET “The answer’s yes…now what’s the question?” Customer service doesn’t get any more basic than this, unless answering the phone (and responding) is a challenge! It’s been a long time since I’ve ranted and raved about customer service. And just when I thought I should refrain, echo’s of management guru Tom Peters’ admonishments that it’s our patriotic duty to rant and rave kept ringing through my head. Name names, he would say. Demand that companies treat us better. Don’t accept shoddy service. Our companies can’t compete globally if we don’t beat …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Sept 21, 2010 2:00:00 PM ET First to appear are the shade-intolerant, rapidgrowth species like fireweed – which are the plant world’s equivalent of entrepreneurs. Without these pioneers, the rebirth of a healthy boreal forest is impossible. If entrepreneurs are the answer, then what is the question? In Jeopardy-like style, pick any problem presently facing the global community – from terrorism to world hunger to massive unemployment – and the solution keeps pointing to the entrepreneur. The timing of this column is such that I’m writing it on the day control of Iraq has been given …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Sept 21, 2010 1:00:00 AM ET Givers tend to get stuff back while takers fight for every last nickel and they are always the ones, in the end, who are struggling – they never have abundance. 20 times return on investment in less than a year; record retention of customers in a commodity business during a severe downturn; highest morale in the history of the company; and the best two quarters, ever, in terms of profitability. The key? An initiative called “Dream On“. “You’re either a giver or taker,” explains John Ratliff , founder and CEO …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Sept 21, 2010 1:00:00 AM ET Karen Usher credits her advisory board for driving 85% growth in revenue in 2002 and an additional 35% in 2003. Frank Holt believes he would have avoided three costly mistakes if he had consulted an advisory board, so he formed one last May. Every major business decision I’ve made has been shaped by my board of advisors. Running a business is simply easier if you have some help and advice from a group of trusted individuals deicated to seeing you succeed.Running a business is simply easier if you have some …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Sept 21, 2010 1:00:00 AM ET You can tell a great company from a good company by spending just a few minutes inside the business. You can tell a great company from a good company by spending just a few minutes inside the business. In good companies, you’ll find the senior team stressed out and overworked from the crush of ever increasing demands while the rest of the team seems oblivious to the challenges facing the firm. In great companies, you find just the opposite – a senior team rested and relaxed while the balance of …