What Virginia CEOs are Reading This Summer
The members within the Virginia Council of CEOs hunger for knowledge. We thirst for relevant facts, crave tangible tactics, and relish a great story. Many of us are devoted readers — seeking out business books to enjoy like a good Session IPA. Here’s a list of what some of our members are reading now. What books will you consume this summer?
Tribe by Sebastian Junger
“I’ve read all of Junger’s books, including The Perfect Storm. This one is about how humans are wired to live and work in groups, and how our modern society isolates us.” – Scot McRoberts, Executive Director , Virginia Council of CEOs
What critics say: ”Junger has raised one of the most provocative ideas of this campaign season — and accidentally written one of its most intriguing political books.” – The New York Times
Deep Work by Cal Newport
“I have just started this book, but felt the need to improve and hone my focus skills. As our days becomes more hectic and the pace of distractions increase, focus become more challenging. I am expecting this book to help with that challenge.” – Mark Creery Sr., President, Data Directions
What critics say: “As a presence on the page, Newport is exceptional in the realm of self-help authors.” — New York Times Book Review
The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon
“This is a great book about B2B selling because it’s backed by extensive research, and it applies a new perspective on how to achieve a competitive advantage in the B2B selling space. I work with several companies in the B2B space, and this book has given me some meaningful principles and practices to grow their sales performance.” – Neal Lappe, Founder & CEO, WebStrategies Inc., author, The Forensics of B2B Selling: A Field Guide to Selling Success in the B2B Space
What critics say: “I believe that this is one of the most important books on sales in the last two decades.” – Anthony Iannarino, international speaker, author, sales leader.
No. B.S. Guide to Maximum Referrals by Dan Kennedy
“I’m currently reading Dan Kennedy’s book No B.S. Guide to Maximum Referrals and Customer Retention: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Plan to Securing New Customers and Maximum Profits. I recommend it to all business leaders or marketing professionals.” – Randy Sklar , CEO, Sklar Technology Partners
What critics say: “For the experienced and new business owner alike.” “Helpful read for the product and/or services provider.” “A Book With a High ROI.” – Amazon reviewers
Avoiding the Bermuda Triangle with Entrepreneur Avrum Elmakis
It was like a casual chat with a friend. CEO to CEO. Only he happens to run a $40 million company that in all likelihood will double its size in the next several years.
The Virginia Council of CEOs is all about quality knowledge sharing, and we weren’t disappointed as Avrum Elmakis took the stage during our recent Quarterly Luncheon.
Avrum Elmakis, CEO of TDBBS, LLC, is a self-proclaimed “business addict,” award-winning entrepreneur, strategic investor, innovator and trusted business consultant.
“Every person I meet wants to be an entrepreneur, “ said Elmakis to the large group. “We all know what it takes to do that. It takes a lot of passion and drive and risk – all those things that define who we are as entrepreneurs. That’s our first move into risk-taking. Then we become comfortable and we want to keep what we have. We become content.”
Elmakis’ advice is to join him in the world of the discontented.
Avoiding the Bermuda Triangle
Elmakis likens business contentment to the Bermuda Triangle – a place where business owners get comfortable generating a certain kind of volume and revenue. We get wrapped up in staying lean and small, and we don’t make the kinds of investments required to become a more formal organization. We hover instead of pivoting to the next revenue tier. We don’t allow our employees to take on responsibility. Our decision-making ability is paralyzed.
Sound familiar?
So how did Best Bully Sticks avoid the Triangle? “For me, an important moment was when I recognized early on the powerful concept of surrounding yourself with real quality people who are way more advanced than what you need. I started doing that in 2013, and it allowed us to fuel our growth early and break through. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of ‘I could hire this person, but the cost is too great for me.’”
A few other things we learned from Elmakis:
• A peer network is critical for an entrepreneur.
• The timing is never right. Don’t wait. Stretch yourself.
• Remember to check your company’s horizon often. Are you honoring your original intention?
• Always be able to separate emotional attachment to your business from good decision-making.
• The attraction to the excitement of a young company, the building of a team, the passion of an entrepreneur – these are things that should not be taken lightly when recruiting top talent.
What’s On Our Minds? Stinky Culture.
“If you have a bum culture, you can almost smell it.”
THINK ABOUT IT. This sentiment, expressed by Tom Laughon, co-founder of Catch Your Limit, sure rings true.
The good news, as we learned during his recent Knowledge Network presentation, is that it’s relatively easy to get rid of the stench. It begins with getting the right people on the bus and building a culture around trust.
“The most strategic decisions a CEO should make are focused on people – checking who is on the bus and in the right seats, growing and retaining great talent and pruning all others. Where you’re going is for naught if you don’t have the right people to get you there.”
Sometimes it’s just plain nice to see a best practice in action, and that’s what Tom gave us. How do we connect with that passionate yet disparaged employee we saw on the video – the one who openly shared her concern for the business and wanted to do more to help it grow?
You have to be brave enough to hear what she has to say – all the good, the bad and the ugly about your business. You must simply listen and collectively think of ways to make a change. Then, “amazing conversations will result,“ Laughon promises us.
Remember: This is a “we” game. Listen. Get your employees involved. And witness a change.
* This “What’s On Our Minds” moment is from the VACEOs Knowledge Network Luncheon “The Company You Keep: Keys to Attracting, Growing & Retaining Talent,” presented by Tom Laughon, co-founder, Catch Your Limit Consulting.
3 Things Every CEO Needs
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of having lunch with Jonathan B. Smith, an entrepreneur, author and Certified EOS Implementer. We talked about the challenges faced by small business owners, and what to do when you hit the ceiling on growth.
You should read Jonathan’s great little book Optimize For Growth, but here’s the quick and dirty. He says that you need just three things to get unstuck and take your business to the next level.
1. A business operating system. EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) is a very good one. There are others. Without an operating system, everything revolves around the CEO, and/or in silos around the business. An operating system allows a business owner to build the strategy and infrastructure that is necessary to scale a business in a unified, repeatable, focused manner.
2. A peer advisory group. Jonathan was member of Entrepreneur’s Organization when he was a CEO. The VA Council of CEOs, which I lead, is similar to EO. Running a growing business is a lonely job. There are often issues that you cannot talk about with your employees, your banker or your spouse. A group of CEOs of similar sized businesses gives you a place to go with concerns about employees, growth plans and other things that keep you awake at night. Surrounded by peers you trust, you can learn faster, make better decisions and grow as a leader.
3. A business coach. All top performers have coaches, and you should too. You have got to have someone who holds you accountable for doing hard stuff, and for growing as a leader. The best coaches ask important questions at the right time, illuminate stuff that you would rather not address, and stretch your vision.
That’s it. Just three things. Now, get to work growing your business!
Scot McRoberts is Executive Director of the Virginia Council of CEOs. He also published this article on Linkedin.
B-School Resources for Your Growing Business
Photo: Kim Schmidt
The University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business Executive Education division was established more than 50 years ago, but how well do you know this institution? You might think of it as a great place to take a business course – which it is – but as we found out, there’s much more to this program than you might imagine.
“Executive Education is part of a business school in a liberal arts, research institution. Further, many of our business school faculty have held corporate positions, which, when blended with their academic expertise, makes them uniquely qualified to assist organizations with their challenges and opportunities,” explains Robert R. Piazza, Director of Executive Education, Robins School of Business.
“For example, we work with a variety of organizations to first, understand their businesses, then provide custom solutions to their challenges. Sometimes that means we educate or train their employees, other times our engagements are considerably more complex involving consultation and facilitated processes. We have developed single courses as well as whole programs in leadership and business acumen. We have consulted on a variety of special projects, and have facilitated leadership retreats on strategy, talent management, and account management. We are often engaged for keynote speaking engagements on topics that are especially relevant for company and association meetings.
He adds, “We enjoy the variety of challenges we face with small, medium, and large-sized clients, and our clients enjoy the great value we provide for considerably less cost than commercial consulting companies.”
Customized Answers to Business Problems
A faculty deep into research and with extensive corporate work experience is an uncommon combination, Piazza tells us. So then, what’s the best way to TRULY take advantage of the university’s resources and expertise? Hire them!
If you have a specific business problem that requires input from a business consultant, and not just a class, look no further. The size of your business doesn’t matter. “My hope is that if you have a business problem, no matter what it may be, you will look to the UR’s Executive Education division as means to solve it,” says Piazza.
From specific challenges like “I’d like to break into a new market” to “I just want to make a profit,” or “I want my employees to work more effectively together” the Robins School of Business is there to help. And like any good consulting firm, the faculty is enthusiastic, engaging and results driven
Options for Everyone
So what are you waiting for? There’s an option for everyone – no matter your challenge, training need, business size or personal level of expertise. All business professionals are welcome.
Executive Education public courses offer a variety of options in project management and training skills development. Those who’d like to update or broaden their overall business knowledge and skills should consider the Mini MBA program. Need a customized approach? Get started here today!
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