Beating the Growth Killers – Robert Sher Tells Us How

Friends, colleagues, breakfast, and Growth Killers: the combination made for an interesting and fun morning with Robert Sher, founding principal of CEO to CEO and a national columnist with Forbes magazine.

Midsized businesses account for 24% of the GDP and 33% of employment in the U.S. Robert Sher has focused his research and study in this ever changing and growing area. Robert shared with the FWSF East Bay his findings on growth killers and the challenges we all face in our professional environments over a hot breakfast at Scott's in Walnut Creek.

Robert focused on two key growth killers as selected by the participants – Operational Meltdown and Dysfunctional Leaders. Operational Meltdown occurs when we over commit and can’t deliver a quality product on time. Robert stressed the need for a customer-centric culture to avoid or correct a meltdown. Other musts include investment in adequate resources, and even sometimes saying “no.”

Tolerating dysfunctional leaders can happen when a business outgrows its leadership. Actions include moving to a team of leaders vs. a sole leader and remembering that leaders leading leaders requires coordination, planning and communication.

More information on these and the 5 other Silent Growth Killers — Letting Time Slip Away, Strategic Tinkering at the Top, Reckless Attempts at Growth, Fumbled Strategic Acquisitions, and The Liquidity Crash – can be found in Robert Sher’s new book Mighty Midsized Companies, available on Amazon.

A good mix of presentation, Q&A, discussion, and tasty food left everyone feeling energized. Thanks to all who were able to attend.

Photo: Robert Sher presenting his book to our drawing winner, Kimberly Crosslin.