1: Carson Holmquist was a micro-manager.  

In 2012, when he was 26 years old, he co-founded Stream Logistics, a construction transportation company that provides transportation and logistics (i.e., trucks and trailers) for construction companies.

As CEO, under Carson’s leadership, from 2012 to 2017, the firm grew rapidly, going from 3 to 30 team members, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy write in 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs … continue reading

“The only way to make our present better is by making our future bigger.” -Dan Sullivan

1: Marketing expert Joe Polish asked his mastermind group of entrepreneurs this question: “If you wanted to improve your profits by ten percent, how would you do it?” 

Each group member spent 10 minutes writing down their best answers, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy write in 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs … continue reading

1: “Who are your top twenty most talented leaders?” 

That was the question McKinsey consultants Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra asked the CEO of an average-performing healthcare company. 

The CEO shared his list.

Next, they asked: “What are the twenty most important roles in the company?” 

Once again, he shared his list, but “with a speed that suggested he hadn’t given that answer nearly as much … continue reading

1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.

Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations.  On Friday, I share something about myself or what we are working on at PCI.

One of my goals for the year is to experiment with different approaches and tools to strengthen my relationships with the people I love and care about.  

We will … continue reading

“Culture is coded wisdom.”-Wangari Maathai

1: Seen the movie City Slickers?

At the heart of this classic 1990s comedy is the relationship between Mitch, a Manhattan yuppie played by Billy Crystal, and Curly, a tough, wizened cowboy played by Jack Palance.

Curly tells Mitch, “It all comes down to one thing.  You focus on that, and everything else don’t mean s#&t.” 

Mitch is confused.  He asks Curly … continue reading

1: The bad news?

“Once a CEO sets a direction for the company’s future, the probability that the plan will become reality is low,” Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra write in CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest.

“Many studies, including our own research,” the authors note, “conclude that only one in three strategies is successfully implemented.”

2: What’s … continue reading

1: “Customers buy for only two reasons,” Jeffrey Fox writes in How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients.

“To feel good or to solve a problem,” he notes.

“Going out to dinner, buying scuba equipment, or getting a new puppy fall into the ‘feel good’ category,” Jeffrey observes.

Businesses typically purchase to solve a problem.  And the solution can always be expressed … continue reading

1: “Revenue is the aqua viva—the lifeblood—of the organization.  Without it the organization will die,” Jeffrey Fox writes in How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients.

What is a Rainmaker?

Simply put, The Rainmaker is a “person who brings revenue into an organization, be it profit or not-for-profit.  That revenue comes from customers and donors.”

2: Why do we call these people … continue reading

1: “Just as every object can be measured in length, width, and depth, every organization can be measured in terms of It, We, and I,” Fred Kofman writes in The Meaning Revolution: The Power of Transcendent Leadership.

We begin by imagining a company as a three-dimensional space.  We call the three dimensions “It,” “We,” and “I,”

The “It” dimension refers to the tasks, systems, and processes that make up … continue reading

1: The news about employee engagement is distressing.

“For more than thirty years, the Gallup Organization has run in-depth behavioral economic research on more than twenty-five million employees across hundreds of U.S. organizations,” Fred Kofman writes in The Meaning Revolution: The Power of Transcendent Leadership.

First, the good news.  The Gallup data shows that workgroups in the top quartile of engagement achieve strong financial results.

“Their profitability and productivity … continue reading