Tag Archives: effective leadership

Evolving Leadership: Guiding Your Team Through Growth

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Editor’s Note: Growing a business requires not only robust, scalable systems but also leadership that adapts as well. In the third article of this series, we delve into how leadership roles must evolve as the organization grows. We’ll discuss the shift from hands-on management to strategic oversight and the importance of fostering a culture that supports sustainable growth.

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Leadership plays a pivotal role in any organization’s success, but as companies grow, the demands on leaders can evolve and increase significantly. What worked within your smaller, more entrepreneurial setting may not be effective in the larger, more complex organization. In this third article of our series, we examine how leadership must adapt to guide a growing organization successfully, drawing on principles from Designed to Scale.

 

The Leadership Shift: From Operational to Strategic

In the early growth stages of a business, leaders are often deeply involved in day-to-day operations. They make quick decisions, solve problems directly, and have a hands-on approach to managing their teams. However, as the organization succeeds, this level of involvement becomes unsustainable. The leader’s role must shift from operational management to enterprise-level strategic oversight.

This shift requires a change in mindset. Instead of focusing on the immediate tactical tasks, leaders need to think long-term, anticipate challenges, and position the company for future success. Delegating more operational responsibilities to trusted managers and focusing on the bigger picture—setting the direction for the organization, aligning teams around common goals, and fostering an environment that supports innovation and growth must become the norm. As one of my retired colleagues, Mike Sleppin, often quipped, “If the Generals are in the foxholes with the corporals and privates, who is running the war”?

 

Building a Leadership Team

Building a strong leadership team is crucial as an organization scales because no single leader can manage everything alone. This team should consist of individuals with expertise in their respective functional areas but, equally important, share the company’s core values and vision. Creating a cohesive leadership team is undoubtedly hard work, but it helps ensure that all aspects of the business are aligned and moving in the same direction.

Designed to Scale emphasizes the importance of hiring leaders who are not only skilled but also adaptable. In a growing organization where change is constant, leaders must navigate this change effectively. They should be capable of leading their teams through transitions, whether integrating new technologies, entering new markets, or scaling operations.

 

Fostering a Growth-Oriented Culture

Leadership isn’t just about managing tasks—it’s about consciously shaping the organization’s culture. A growth-oriented culture encourages innovation, embraces change, and rewards those continuously seeking improvement. Leaders play a key role in cultivating this culture by setting the tone and leading by example.

Communication is a critical component of this. As organizations grow, ensuring everyone is on the same page becomes more challenging. Leaders must invest their energy in prioritizing clear, consistent communication to align teams around the company’s goals and ensure everyone understands their role in achieving them.

‍Moreover, leaders should focus on empowering their employees. I recommend that growing organizations move from a hierarchical command-and-control decision-making structure to a flatter, decentralized model. Leaders must develop the confidence and trust in their teams to make sound decisions after providing them with the tools and information they need to succeed.

 

Actionable Steps for Executives

  1. Evaluate Your Leadership Approach: Reflect on how your role has evolved as your company has grown. Are you still too involved in day-to-day operations? Consider how you can shift your focus to more strategic responsibilities.
  2. Build a Strong Leadership Team: Identify the key areas of your business that require strong leadership. Invest in hiring or developing skilled leaders who will easily align with your company’s values and vision.
  3. Foster a Growth-Oriented Culture: Encourage innovation and continuous improvement within your organization. Lead by example, and ensure that your actions reflect the values and behaviors you want to see in your team.
  4. Prioritize Communication: As your organization grows, communication becomes more challenging and critical. Implement systems and practices that ensure clear, consistent communication across all levels of the organization.

 

Only by evolving your leadership style and building a strong leadership team can you better guide your organization through the complexities of growth. Ultimately helping your company scale effectively and remain agile, innovative, and aligned with its core values.

In the final article of our series, we’ll explore the role of organizational culture in scaling. We’ll discuss how to preserve and strengthen your culture as your company grows and why this is vital for long-term success.

Fix ‘Em or Fire ‘Em: Tough Choices in Leadership

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From my associate, Grant Tate.

Many leaders, especially in government and large institutions, struggle with underperforming employees who drain productivity, morale, and resources. My colleague and I experienced this last week: an organization director, overwhelmed with frustration, has multiple cases of long-term underperformance but feels constrained by bureaucracy, fear of legal retaliation, and a workplace culture that resists decisive action.

‍What can leaders do to navigate this dilemma? Here are some ideas:

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1. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Strategic Coaching

While some employees may simply be a poor fit, others may have the potential to turn things around with the right guidance. Before moving straight to termination, a leader should explore whether coaching or structured interventions could make a difference.

‍By setting specific goals and providing a clear improvement plan, leaders give employees the opportunity to either step up or self-select out of the organization. Those who genuinely want to improve will welcome this guidance, while those who resist will demonstrate that they may not belong in the organization. Ultimately, this process can foster growth and, in some cases, even rehabilitate performance issues.

2. Look Beyond the Individual: Impact on the Organization

Underperformance has a ripple effect on the organization. Poor performance rarely exists in a vacuum. In this director’s case, morale was down across five departments, each impacted by poor-performing employees. This affects the team’s productivity, morale, motivation, and overall workplace culture.

‍Leaders need to see these issues for what they are—systemic challenges, not isolated problems. By addressing underperformance as a cultural issue, leaders create a message of accountability and a clear commitment to high standards.

‍3. Create a Culture Where Performance is Valued

Government agencies, like the one in this scenario, often operate in environments where job security is prioritized over performance. This can create a culture where underperformance is tolerated, sometimes for years, with little risk to the employee. However, effective leaders push back against this status quo. Leaders should establish clear performance expectations, set achievable goals, and provide regular feedback. When employees understand what’s expected and know their work is consistently evaluated, they’re more likely to rise to the occasion.

‍This may require a cultural shift and a willingness to hold uncomfortable conversations. But the long-term impact on morale, productivity, and employee satisfaction is worth it. Creating a performance-focused culture empowers high achievers, motivates mid-level performers, and makes it clear that chronic underperformance won’t be ignored.

‍4. Document—Then Act Decisively

The director diligently documented the poor performance of one particularly problematic employee, creating a file over an inch thick. We all know documentation is the evidence that managers need to support their case for action. However, documentation is only part of the solution. For it to matter, leaders must be prepared to act on it.

‍Many managers hesitate at this point, worrying about possible legal implications or backlash. Yet, allowing poor performers to hang on, especially those who poison the culture, harms not only the team but also the organization’s effectiveness. If the employee cannot or will not improve, termination may be the best option—not as a punishment but as a necessary step for the health of the entire team.

5. Address the Fear Factor

Managers may fear the repercussions of making difficult personnel decisions. They worry about lawsuits, appeals, and the potential for backlash, especially if the employee has taken preemptive steps, like hiring a lawyer. While these concerns are valid, they should not paralyze a manager into inaction.

‍For leaders, courage is a vital quality. Managers should work closely with HR to ensure that all procedural steps are followed to the letter. If they have provided constructive feedback to the employee, documented issues thoroughly and treated the employee fairly, they are legally protected in taking corrective action. HR departments, for their part, need to provide steadfast support, empowering managers rather than creating roadblocks.

‍6. Take a Stand for Organizational Health

Leaders should remember that taking corrective action isn’t about punishment—it’s about protecting the health of the organization. Every employee who is allowed to underperform sends a silent message to the rest of the team: “We don’t prioritize excellence.” On the otherhand, when leaders make the tough call to help under-performers improve or let them go, they set a precedent that the organization values productivity, morale, and the success of the whole team.

In the end, addressing poor performance effectively isn’t just a management issue—it’s a statement of leadership values. By standing up for accountability and making the tough calls, leaders can inspire loyalty and respect, creating a culture where every employee knows that they—and the organization—are held to the highest standards.

So, next time you find yourself in the fix-or-fire conundrum, remember: decisive action speaks louder than a thick file folder.

Critical Keys to Success

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From my associate, Janice Giannini.

Today, businesses face unprecedented shifting sands upon which to build and grow.

‍While I would like to opine that there are a few more significant challenges, and the others are potentially less compelling and volatile – that doesn’t reflect reality. Think for just a moment about a few of these challenges:

  • The advent of quantum computing: while not imminent across all verticals, it is undeniable and will disrupt technology, people, and cyber security.
  • Maintaining a cyber-secure environment: currently a very challenging objective to achieve and becoming more so by the day.
  • Incorporating technology shifts: navigating the turbulent waters of disruptive technologies, robotics, and diverse systems integration across multiple verticals.
  • Impact of Generative AI: Momentum will increase as GAI matures and impacts all aspects of our lives.
  • Globally complex supply chains: impacted by economic stability, foreign  relationships, and politics.

The most significant leadership imperative to build and grow in the above environment is recognizing and incorporating effective strategies to coalesce:

  • Workforce demographics are changing and will continue to do so.
  • Global competition for top-talent recruitment, deployment, and retention of talent.
  • Generational expectations are changing and vary widely.
  • There is a greater need to address purpose and value-driven plans and operations.

‍The 200 words above are enough to scare anybody. Please sit back and ponder where we go from here.

Insufficient trust, understanding, communications, connections, development, and connectedness among the people who matter overwhelmingly contribute to many business issues, challenges, and failures. The people who matter are everyone involved in the success or failure of the enterprise. 

No one can build and grow an enterprise alone. Ideally, everybody needs to row in the same direction at the same speed. The more complex the technology, business environment, and conflicting values become, the more critical the people become.

How is this accomplished? You get what you prioritize and reward. Leaders are not doing this to be friendly people. They must do this to stay relevant and build and grow their businesses. Change and growth start by looking in the mirror and honestly assessing the current state.

It has never been more urgent for leaders at all levels, primarily the executive level, first to improve their communications and connectedness capabilities. Here are a few suggestions for strengthening trust, communications, and connectedness:

  • Listen to hear and learn and not explain and defend, perhaps even asking what questions you should be asking.
  • Prioritize building trust up/down and across the connected enterprise.
  • Reach out to a broader scope of voices, especially the voices with whom you disagree or least understand.
  • Demonstrate the purpose and values of the business and be adept at flowing this message from strategy to execution so the staff can understand how their particular work is directly related and essential.
  • Recognize that continuous learning in today’s world is not just for new employees but everyone.
  • Consider apprenticeships to help develop people as well as effective communication and connectedness.
  • Consider buddy systems and reverse mentoring as a standard practice. The newer people learn about the business and its past growth, and the more     experienced people gain effective cross-generational communications and capabilities.
  • Formal leadership development is essential for business leaders. They may or may not have the title, but they are leaders, nonetheless.

‍Past lessons are an excellent foundation as businesses navigate a rapidly changing business, economic, social, and global environment. However, continued growth is a function of standing in the moment, embracing the future, and helping all of us lift the tide!

‍Helping raise the tide for everyone requires not only developing an attuned sense of what to do but also learning what to stop doing-and then stopping doing it, even if it has been successful in the past.

Demonstrating the honesty and humility to share that we need to change, and we may not have all of the answers right now, can be incredibly motivating if everybody feels like part of the team working together to move forward in a positive growth direction.

Please take a few moments to consider the following two questions.

  • How will you use newly gained insights if you see something useful?
  • If it offended you in some way, why?  How are you going to use that information?

Flexible Leadership vs. Wishy-Washy Leadership: Understanding the Distinction

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The concept of flexible leadership is increasingly relevant in organizations. I will clarify that flexible leadership is not synonymous with wishy-washy leadership. The former represents a strategic and adaptable approach to leadership, while the latter suggests indecisiveness and lack of direction. Understanding the distinction between these concepts is crucial for leaders who navigate complex situations effectively and maintain credibility within their organizations.

‍Defining Flexible Leadership

Flexible leadership involves adapting one’s leadership style and approach to meet the demands of various situations. This adaptability is not random but is based on a deep understanding of the organizational context, the needs of team members, and the specific challenges at hand. A flexible leader possesses a tool kit of leadership styles, ranging from authoritative to participative, and knows when to apply each to achieve the best outcomes.

‍For instance, a flexible leader might adopt a more directive approach during a crisis to ensure quick decision-making and clear communication. Conversely, in a situation that requires innovation and creativity, the same leader might encourage a more collaborative environment to harness the collective intelligence of the team. This strategic adaptability is a hallmark of practical, flexible leadership.

Characteristics of Flexible Leadership

Several vital characteristics distinguish flexible leadership from wishy-washy leadership:

  1. Strategic Adaptability: Flexible leaders intentionally adjust their leadership style based on a thorough assessment of the situation. This adaptability is grounded in strategic thinking and a clear vision of the desired outcomes.
  2. Decisiveness: Despite their adaptability, flexible leaders are decisive. They gather relevant information, consult with stakeholders, and make informed decisions promptly. Their adaptability is consistent with their ability to provide clear direction and make tough choices when necessary.
  3. Empathy and Understanding: Flexible leaders exhibit a high level of emotional intelligence. They understand the needs and motivations of their team members and adjust their approach to support and empower them effectively.
  4. Clear Communication: Effective communication is a cornerstone of flexible leadership. These leaders work at articulating their vision, goals, and expectations clearly, ensuring that team members are aligned and understand the rationale behind any changes in approach.

The Pitfalls of Wishy-Washy Leadership

In contrast, wishy-washy leadership is characterized by indecisiveness, inconsistency, and a lack of clear direction. Such leaders may frequently change their minds or flip-flop on decisions without a clear rationale, leading to confusion and frustration among team members. Several traits are commonly associated with wishy-washy leadership:

  1. Indecisiveness: Wishy-washy leaders struggle to make decisions and often delay taking action. This indecisiveness can result in missed opportunities and a lack of progress.
  2. Inconsistency: These leaders frequently change their stance or approach, leading to a lack of stability and predictability. Team members may feel uncertain about the direction of the organization and their roles within it.
  3. Lack of Vision: Wishy-washy leaders often lack a clear vision and strategic plan. Without a coherent direction, their leadership appears reactive rather than proactive, and their decisions seem arbitrary.
  4. Poor Communication: Ineffective communication is a hallmark of wishy-washy leadership. These leaders fail to clearly articulate their goals and expectations, leading to misunderstandings and misalignment within the team.

‍Differentiating Flexible Leadership from Wishy-Washy Leadership

To distinguish between flexible and wishy-washy leadership, consider the underlying motivations and outcomes of their actions:

  • Intentional vs. Random Adaptability: Flexible leaders intentionally adjust their leadership style based on a strategic assessment of the situation. Wishy-washy leaders, on the other hand, appear to randomly change their approach without a clear rationale.
  • Consistency in Core Values: Flexible leaders maintain consistency in their core values and vision while adapting their approach. Wishy-washy leaders lack this consistency, leading to a perception of unreliability.
  • Empowerment vs. Confusion: Flexible leaders empower their team members by providing clear direction and support tailored to their needs. Wishy-washy leaders create confusion and uncertainty, undermining team morale and productivity.

‍Conclusion

In conclusion, flexible leadership and wishy-washy leadership are fundamentally different concepts. Flexible leadership is characterized by strategic adaptability, decisiveness, empathy, and clear communication. It involves intentionally adjusting one’s leadership style to meet the demands of various situations while maintaining a consistent vision and core values. On the other hand, wishy-washy leadership is marked by indecisiveness, inconsistency, a lack of clear direction, and poor communication. By understanding these distinctions, leaders can cultivate a flexible leadership style that enhances their effectiveness and credibility, driving their organizations toward success in an ever-changing business landscape.

Fix the Toaster

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Do you want to fix the toaster, or do you keep scraping the burnt part off the toast? It seems like a simple question, but hear me out.

In business and life, we get what we accept. If so, why would we continue to accept an unacceptable outcome rather than address the core problem? These questions may seem ridiculous at first blush.

Now, let’s take that experience into our corporate hallways.

When was the last time you asked yourself where examples of non-productive behavior have crept in as people had to battle the problems caused by all the pressures of the recent past?

Where are past decisions continuing to cause people in your organization to struggle or fall further behind?

Where are leaders and managers asking people to do the equivalent of rolling bowling balls uphill every day to get things done? Are other top leaders in your organization even noticing this has become commonplace? Are they stopping to wonder when their people will be burning out and won’t seem as committed as they once were?

So many people get overwhelmed by the drumbeat of day-to-day responsibilities. They don’t always stop to consider how their decisions impact their direct reports, who are just trying to make a living.

I compare it to driving a speedboat across a lake. The Captain can be so focused on getting to the other side that they become oblivious. They don’t notice that their wake is flooding all the properties along the shoreline.

If your organization has put formal process improvement initiatives on hold during the epidemic, it’s time to take a fresh look at opportunities. While looking for areas to explore, don’t forget to start with how your senior executives are running the business.

How seamlessly does your organization operate? Please go much deeper in your thinking process than whether or not you have an up-to-date organization chart. You and your top team need to examine whether your organization is coalescing around the best ways to get things done.

It can be enlightening to see how things are getting done versus how they are supposed to be getting done.

While some people may smile and say, “Great job innovating,” others will be shocked to learn that many of the checks and balances they thought were in place are being ignored for expediency.

Where do you expect your firm to be on that continuum when you take the time to examine it? Are your teams operating like a well-oiled kanban system or more like a TV comedy show?

Anytime the answer is different from what you had hoped for, look at how easy it is for someone at any level to get things done. Examine your processes for efficiency and effectiveness. Look vertically (relationships with people above or below in the hierarchy) and horizontally (across functional disciplines). Imagine fully capitalizing on foresight, insight, common sense, and proven processes to help you run your business and increase your chances for long-term success.

Editor’s Note:This article was originally published in American Executive Magazine

Wait! I’m a Manager, Not a Coach

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From my associate Grant Tate.

“Wait! I’m no coach; I’m a manager. What do you expect? Don’t you know coaching is a horrible time waster? I have enough to do already, trying to supervise twenty people. And I’ve been trying to implement your DEI policy over the last two years. Yet there’s another thing I have to do.”

Yes, our team leaders and middle managers are facing many challenges. Leaders are under pressure from the turbulent market and economic environments, advancing technology, hybrid work structures, shortages of key skills, and recruiting problems—to name a few. Some leaders adapt and change, while others may not make it.

We can’t keep piling on more work and change without helping team leaders and middle managers adapt. Here’s a start.

If you’re a leader, start with the questions:

  • How can I help each team member do their job more effectively?
  • How can I help my team work more effectively?
  • How can I help each person feel accomplished in their work?

 

If you embrace these questions and put them at the top of your responsibilities, then you’re a coach. But coaches need different skills than supervisors.

  • A coach is a good listener. Instead of giving instructions, they ask good questions, helping the team members express their concerns, define problems, and explore solutions.
  • A coach is a good observer. Watching a team member do their job, whether manual or knowledge work, can help generate helpful questions to ask.
  • A coach knows how to ask questions that help to define problems or issues and open new paths of thinking for the team member.
  • A coach encourages high standards and deliberate practice. The intentional practice cycle follows: Do a task, analyze results, make corrections, and repeat the task. This system works best when an outside observer analyzes the results and provides helpful positive feedback. The coach can fulfill that role.
  • The coach helps team members to set SMART goals. Setting short team goals, accomplishing them, and getting good feedback stimulates engagement and morale. A coach provides frequent and encouraging feedback.

 

Gallup suggests that the best leaders spend one-to-one time with each team member weekly. Combining this idea with “leading by walking around” and “leading by coaching” are tools that could transform your team.

Becoming a Leader/Coach might take some attitude adjustment, but it’s worth it. You’ll have more fun, and so will your team members.

Transitioning From an Entrepreneurship to a Professionally Managed Firm Part III

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Editor’s Note:This is the second installment of an ongoing series surrounding what it takes to move from a relatively small, micro-business to a more robust, larger organization. Each article explores a different aspect of that journey.

In the previous issues, I discussed the initial phases of transitioning from a business in its infancy to becoming a sustainable business. I discussed the challenges and the growing pains that are experienced by many companies in that part of the growth curve and understanding the six key organizational development tasks to navigate.

In this issue, we will identify and help you better understand the four major stages and the typical characteristics of those stages that an organization must pass through on its way to greatness.

Those stages and characteristics are:

DescriptionDevelopmental NeedsTypical Revenue Size
1. New VentureNiche and marketsLess than $2 million
2. ExpandingResources and operations$2-$10 million
3. DevelopingProcess management$10-$100 million
4. IntegratingOrganizational cultureMore than $100 million

 

Stage One: In the first stage, revenue ranges from a pure startup to revenues approaching $2 million. As we have covered in detail previously, the essential thing that the owner must be concerned with is developing a focused approach to building the business and securing customers. This happens by identifying, defining, and developing appropriate niches and the carriers and markets to serve them.

Stage Two: In the second stage, the firm has expanded beyond the $2 million range and may hit $10 million. At this stage of development, it is not unusual for the firm to experience a period or periods of rapid expansion. This expansion obviously will involve top-line sales revenues but will likely affect any number of employees and multiple locations.

Stage 2, therefore, provides the management of the firm or organization with a new set of challenges surrounding development. How often have people talked to us about their resources being stretched almost to the breaking point when increased sales require ever-increasing people resources, cash flow, office equipment, supplies or office space.

Simultaneously, just trying “to get the work out the door” is restricting the owner’s attention to recruiting new staff, managing the ongoing training of staff and paying adequate attention to customers and clients other than the renewal period. Since the problems of this period tend to be more associated with growth than survival, this is when people will be pulling their hair out.
It may play out as follows:

  • Supplies run out unexpectedly
  • Some invoices get paid multiple times while others don’t get paid at all for months on end
  • The quality of customer care and responsiveness for existing customers is decreasing with nobody inside catching on to it
  • Fighting fires and dealing with the crisis of the hour or day becomes the norm
  • Staff turnover begins to spike at the worst possible time due to the stress or burnout
  • The impact of poorly designed and executed recruitment processes and lousy hiring decisions come home to roost
  • Errors in handling paperwork (in a paper-based system) lead to missing files, letters, backup documentation, or requests for changes that lead to blaming, confusion, wasted time, and embarrassment
  • Errors in scheduling discipline or too many promises made by too many people may mean the staff will need to be in two places at once or crisscrossing all over the state or country on the same day

 

Ultimately, it can become so devastating that the organization collapses and goes out of business. Usually, this is because the founder or owner did not deal effectively with the issues and managerial challenges that occurred as the organization grew. Having an effective operational system infrastructure that is scalable as the organization grows may be more critical than many people realize. Often owners are not as concerned with what has been dubbed by some as “organizational plumbing” as maybe they should be.

Stage Three: At Stage 3, the owners, and any partners and managers, realize that there is more to becoming even more successful in the future than strictly throwing money into people, equipment, and space. It will be critical that a transition to a different type of organization occur. The movement from an entrepreneurial management style known for its informality to a much more professional leadership style must occur.

It is time to have well-defined strategic plans and operational goals and plans. Regularly scheduled meetings are needed to ensure that everyone stays on the same page and doesn’t feel left out during the quickly changing pace of business. Everyone should have a position description and a well-articulated scope of responsibility used as day-to-day management tools. If not yet in place, it is time for a performance appraisal process to be part of the overall management control system. The people who manage the firm also must change their role and skill sets, approaches to their position, and competencies to keep up with business developments. They probably started as a hands-on manager or a super-worker. They may have maintained that posture through the first two phases. It is unlikely that this same style will serve them well in the future.

Increasingly, what will be needed are the skills associated with formalized planning and administration and overall motivation, including reward and recognition systems and leadership competencies. One tendency to avoid using attention to detail is to under-invest in the management infrastructure until it is almost excruciating.

Stage Four: During Stage 4, the main focus is integrating. Once the organization has somewhat mastered the issues discussed in the prior stages, the crucial work of organizational development begins- the care and feeding of the corporate culture. The culture impacts the day-to-day running of the business. It can also have a considerable effect on the level of profitability.

Since day one, the organization has hired multiple people. They may have come in waves (almost referred to as the class of ‘XX) as the business surged through various levels. In many cases, the staff hired early on probably was hired using a much less formal environment and process. Often, one only needed to demonstrate the basic skills to be hired. Culture, whatever existed, was transmitted via word of mouth and observations surrounding, “That’s how we do things around here.” During the second bout of growth and hiring, the employees who were hired early on in the firm’s history become the carriers and keepers of the culture.

As this process becomes replicated, maintaining the culture gets harder and harder for two reasons. First, the sheer number of people hired can overwhelm the number of early hires. The second challenge comes from expanding via branch offices and locations. It is almost impossible to establish and maintain the desired culture while only relying on casual means. It is time to bite the bullet and establish a formal approach to groom the culture. So how do we characterize the differences between an entrepreneurial style and a professional management style?

In simple terms, many entrepreneurs tend to be relatively informal in their operations, lack processes, and systems, and have a freewheeling nature. They are much more likely to decide based on a gut feeling. An organization with professional management tends to be more formal, has well-developed processes and systems, and exerts internal discipline to achieve its business and profitability targets.

In his book, Making the Transition from an Entrepreneurship to a Professionally Managed Firm Eric G. Flamholtz articulated nine discreet result areas that differ between the entrepreneurial and professional management styles: profit; planning; organization; control; management and development; budgeting; innovation; leadership; and culture. The differences are striking, and understanding the methods behind each form of management leads to an enhanced sense of purpose for an organization during this change.

In the next installment, we will discuss developmental items and tactics, explain and assess the organizational growing pains, and plan the transitions that the leader must successfully execute. Watch for the next installment.