My Guest My guest today is Jim Sharpe, somebody who I’ve been fortunate enough to call a mentor and friend for over 10 years now. This is Jim’s second appearance on In The Trenches (you can access the first episode here) In this week’s episode, we build upon the first-hand accounts presented in episode 1Continue reading “When Search Funds Don’t Go As Planned (Part 2): Trends & Observations With Jim Sharpe”
Tag Archives: goal setting
The Merits, Risks, and Possible Unintended Consequences of Earn-Outs
Listen to this Blog Post When acquiring small to medium sized businesses, buyers often utilize a tool called an “earn-out”, which is a form of contingent consideration that sellers may receive at some point in the future in addition to the cash that they stand to receive at closing. Though earn-outs can be useful andContinue reading “The Merits, Risks, and Possible Unintended Consequences of Earn-Outs”
Constructing, Managing, and Working with a Board of Directors
Listen to This Blog Post Though most people have experience reporting directly into a boss or manager of some sort, very few people can say that the “boss” into whom they report is represented by the company’s Board of Directors. Indeed, in most companies, only a single person (namely, the CEO) can make such aContinue reading “Constructing, Managing, and Working with a Board of Directors”
A Leader’s Most Important Skill
Listen to This Blog Post Though effective leaders tend to possess a multitude of different skills and abilities, my experience as a CEO taught me that the most important skill for any leader to possess is that of clear and effective communication. Indeed, a CEO’s strategy is only as good as her ability to communicateContinue reading “A Leader’s Most Important Skill”
Implementing a Formal Operating System Like EOS or the Rockefeller Habits
Listen to this Blog Post Throughout recent history, there has been substantial growth in the number of companies who have decided to implement formal “operating systems” to govern certain strategic and operational decisions within their businesses. Though there are many operating systems in existence today, two of the most widely used systems are EOS (theContinue reading “Implementing a Formal Operating System Like EOS or the Rockefeller Habits”
Lessons From my First Month as the CEO of a Newly Acquired Company
Listen to This Blog Post “Trying to drink from a firehose” is a common expression that is often used to describe a situation in which one has a difficult time processing an overwhelming amount of information within a given period of time. This certainly described my own experience, when in 2014 I became the CEOContinue reading “Lessons From my First Month as the CEO of a Newly Acquired Company”
Why So Many Companies Rarely Achieve Their Annual Goals
Listen to This Blog Post: Few things are as energizing as the annual goal-setting process, where the management team decides on the company’s major priorities for the coming year, usually generating a sense of enthusiasm, optimism, and confidence. Conversely, few things are as deflating as the annual review, where the same management team often retrospectivelyContinue reading “Why So Many Companies Rarely Achieve Their Annual Goals”