How to Lead With Vision
Great leaders are not only able to see a successful future; they are able to communicate it in a clear and compelling way that makes people want to direct their efforts toward it. Read More
Free eBook
Sign up to receive exclusive updates via email
and get a FREE copy of my NEW eBook:Built to Grow
A Survival Manual for Growing Companies
100% privacy. No sharing or selling
of your information to any third party.about mark otto
Blog Archives
The Right Kind of Time to Spend on Your Growing Business
As a business scales, the role of its leadership needs to evolve and scale along with it. There are two key dimensions in which this evolution takes place: (1) The shift from a hands-on problem solver to ultimately a coach and mentor to others, and (2) the move from tactical execution to a strategic thinking. It takes time and effort to successfully make these transitions. Read More
The Critical Role of Delegation in Fast-Growth Companies
“I don’t delegate because it’s easier just do it myself.” Or “No one can do this as well as I can.” Sound familiar? We’ve all said it. But this thinking is flawed. Delegating does take time and effort. And maybe you can do it faster or better. But there’s only one of you, and you don’t scale. Read More
Leadership Is Not One Dimensional
Browse the business section of any book store, read the business press, listen to academic theorists, gurus, or management consultants, and you’ll find plenty of prescriptions for what it takes to be a good CEO. Read More
5 Ways “Smart” Leaders Fail
Every day I have the opportunity to work with extraordinarily bright leaders. More than a few of these “smart” leaders truly believe that their intelligence is far greater than those around them. Instead of using their intelligence as an asset, it becomes a liability that limits their success. Read More
3 Silent Business Growth Killers
There’s an inescapable truth I’ve found over twenty years of working with fast-growth companies: Instead of bringing out the hidden strengths of a business,success tends to bring out the hidden weaknesses. Read More
Building a Fast-Growth Management Team
The biggest distinguishing factor between success and failure is almost always the senior management team. A high-performing team, with broadly differing viewpoints and perspectives, determines how far a business goes – more than the idea, more than the timing, and even more than the resources of the company. Read More
5 Success Factors of High-Growth Companies
What separates the also-rans struggling to achieve growth from the masters – those companies and leaders who manage to achieve long-term sustainable growth? What are the practices that can make the difference between merely surviving and achieving extraordinary growth?. Read More
Business Growth is a Balancing Act
As companies grow and get bigger, most leaders struggle with the need to add structure and process to the business. They become very concerned about “over managing” the organization and creating a bureaucracy. Because most of us know the horrors of working in a rigid and arthritic organization, there is a natural fear of systems, structure, and process. Read More
5 Signs Your Business is Growing Out of Control
Without proper planning you may find your growth creating an avalanche that buries you in unforeseen problems. Several times a year, there are stories about companies that got themselves into trouble because they “grew too fast.” In hindsight, the insiders in these companies describe the situation using expressions like “out of control” or “total chaos.” Read More
