Focus is Key

Apple CEO Tim Cook was once asked shortly after Steve Jobs died what was the key thing he had learnt from Jobs - his answer was that “Focus is Key”.

However, with so many things going on in a business what should a leader focus on?

Over the past few weeks The Founders Mentality book has been mentioned a few times in meetings I have been in, and I think there is a strong argument to say that from a behaviour perspective focusing on maintaining a “Founders Mentality” is the most important thing for a leader heading up an ambitious and growing business.

The book is written by two Bain Consultants Chris Zook and James Allen and it explores why many companies struggle with growth despite having a strong strategy.

They argue that sustainable growth is not just about having a good market position but also about maintaining the mindset and behaviours of a founder-led business that they inevitably had in their early days.  Too often as companies grow, they develop complexity, bureaucracy, and loss of agility, leading to stagnation and inevitably lose their original energy and purpose.

They define three key traits of the Founder’s Mentality:

Insurgent Mission – A clear, passionate sense of purpose that differentiates the company, where everyone feels at war in your respective industry on behalf of a dissatisfied customer.

Frontline Obsession – A relentless focus and obsession on customers, talent attraction and development and execution.

Owner’s Mindset – A cost-conscious, accountable, and long-term approach to decision-making.

So how do you re-discover Founders Mentality? 

I think leaders need to ensure they deliver a strategy and plan of action that is as simple as possible and work hard everyday to eradicate complexity, maintain a culture of accountability and urgency and keep the customer at the heart of decision making.

However, as I often say if it was easy everyone would do it!

Would value your thoughts.