Source: gazelles.com
Staying current on the latest strategies for recruitment, execution, development, and operations is key. It’s a tool that ABG Capital uses to sharpen their current skill sets. It’s hard to argue that attending the Gazelles Growth Summit isn’t worth the time and travel. Especially when you’re recognized and awarded time and time again for growth, culture, and employee satisfaction. This year alone ABG Capital and its portfolio companies have reeled in eleven awards from Inc. 5000, Pittsburgh Business Times’ 100 Fastest Growing Companies, and Inc.’s 50 Best Places to work…just to name a few!
As some of you may or may not know, ABG Capital attends the Gazelles Summit, presented by Fortune, twice a year. The spring Summit focuses on leadership and the fall Summit focuses on growth. There, top news-makers and thought-leaders along with hundreds of executive teams from participating companies are gathered for two intense days of learning, networking, and idea generation.These recognitions have been earned as a result of not neglecting their own education and development as a whole.
This past spring the Growth Summit focused on Verne Harnish’s book Scaling Up- Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. A book designed to scale a “hyper-growth” business. The book and the seminar have a very specific focus; it’s written with so-called “gazelles” in mind; ambitious, small, entrepreneurial firms that make the transition to hyper-growth companies. Those are companies where a month, or a quarter is more like a year for a regular business. When you’re growing that fast you need some guiding principles, or rules to run by. Verne Harnish created the “Rockefeller Habits” based on the leadership and management principles used by John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. (Often regarded as the richest person in history).
It’s safe to say that whatever stage of business you’re at, this book is packed with practical things you can implement in this moment to make a noticeable difference to the performance of your company.
As we’ve discussed in a previous post, the book focuses on 3 habitual pillars:
- Priority: Does the company have their Top 5 objective priorities for the year and quarter, and a clear Top 1 priority? Does everyone in the company have his or her own priorities aligned with these? Priorities matter because you’ll make faster progress by focusing everyone’s energies on one area.
- Data: Does the company have sufficient feedback on a daily and weekly basis to ensure the company is running and the market is demanding? This will also help you predict the near-future.
- Rhythm: Does the company have an effective pattern of well-organized daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual meetings to maintain alignment and drive accountability?
The book goes into depth on how to make sure you’re doing these three things right, as well as touching on company culture and how to recruit effectively.
What about this fall’s Growth Summit? It will focus on the idea and implementation of acquired contacts, deal flow, and knowledge as being the fundamental key sources of business development. Gazelles International will bring together experts in leadership, strategy, marketing, sales, operations, and finance to create a best-in-class interactive educational experience.
This gives business owners the opportunity to become the leader they’ve always imagined they could be–while surpassing all competition. This Summit will teach the ideas and tools of connecting with people that will propel any enterprise to the next level.
Some of the ideas and principles at this fall’s Growth Summit:
- Building new connections & nurturing leads
- Discovering best practices & discussing case studies
- Develop skills surrounding client acquisition & facilitation
- Participation in spirited round tables & challenge convention
- Presentations from renowned news makers & thought leaders
- Expertise gained by implementing the Four Decisions
It has never been more important for leaders of growth companies to make the right decisions about people, strategy, execution, and cash. ABG Capital will continue their education in the days to come at the fall Growth Summit in order to continue cultivating their growth in all facets.
Keep checking in for our follow up post as we uncover what we have learned and improved on, all stemming from the lessons learned at the Growth Summit!
