Leading at the Speed of Growth: Journey from Entrepreneur to CEO (Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership) [Hardcover]

Katherine Catlin (Author), Jana Matthews (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764553666 | ISBN-13: 978-0764553660 | Publication Date: May 15, 2001 | Edition: 1

Learn how to take your company to the next level of growth through the stories of over 500 successful entrepreneurs. Developed by the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, this flagship book introduces a new series on managing growth. The authors expertly guide you through the three stages of entrepreneurial growth: initial growth, rapid growth, and continuous growth. Personal stories told by successful entrepreneurs reveal the hows and whys of evolving as a leader at each stage, identifying red flags, vital signs, and secrets of sustained growth. Become a dynamic leader by using this book as your roadmap to entrepreneurial success.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Quotes:

“Matthews and Catlin do the entrepreneurial process a great service with this book. Their single greatest contribution is the very idea that an entrepreneur can evolve through predictable stages to become a superb manager, leader and company builder.” -Jim Collins, co-author of Built to Last

“This book is to entrepreneurial leadership what Geoff Moore’s Crossing the Chasm was to high tech marketing.” -Tom Byers, Director, Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Stanford University

From the Inside Flap

"The ultimate road guide for current and aspiring high-growth entrepreneurs." -Mark D. Gordon, CEO, Synergy Networks, Inc. For every Bill Gates or Michael Dell, there are hundreds of entrepreneurs who fail to lead their companies from promising start-up to dominant industry player. How do you avoid getting tripped up-and keep your company on the road to success? This book provides the answers. Drawing on the resources of the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership as well as insights from more than 500 successful entrepreneurs, authors Katherine Catlin and Jana Matthews guide you through the three stages of entrepreneurial growth-and explain how you must evolve as a leader at each stage to ensure continuing success:
* Initial Growth, the first stage after Start-up, when you need to change from a Doer and a Decision Maker to a Delegator and Direction Setter
* Rapid Growth, the stage when you strive to become a market leader-and need to change yourself into a Team Builder, a Coach, a Planner, and a Communicator
* Continuous Growth, the stage when you need to explore new avenues for growth-and transform yourself into a Change Catalyst, an Organization Builder, a Strategic Innovator, and the Chief of Culture
Interspersing incisive anecdotes and observations from successful CEOs, Catlin and Matthews show you how to navigate each stage of growth successfully. They identify the "red flags" that indicate that it's time to change your leadership style. They describe the personal changes you need to make and pinpoint the dangers that come with inaction. And they explain in detail what each new leadership role means- and how it will help take your company to the next level. www.hungryminds.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (May 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764553666
• ISBN-13: 978-0764553660
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for several audiences., August 4, 2001

By 

S. M. Felton "samton" (Southwest Harbor, ME United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Leading at the Speed of Growth: Journey from Entrepreneur to CEO (Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership) (Hardcover)

Commentary, August, 2001. This is an important book for several audiences. First, it should help entrepreneurs understand the skills and experience that are required to move from start up, or as the authors put it, from "initial growth," through "rapid growth," and finally into "continuous growth" phases. Thoughtful entrepreneurs will ask of themselves: "Do I have those shills - if not, what must I do to gain them? And, do I have what it takes to do so?" If they are truly honest with themselves, a good number will realize that it will take different individuals with different skills and experience to lead their creation through these phases, and act accordingly.

The second group range from board directors, especially if venture capitalists are among them, and trusted personal advisors, especially if the entrepreneur does not have a true board comprised of some seasoned executives or consultants with requisite experience. These are the individuals who are in the best position to make these kind of judgments.

Many years ago, I was in the office of the head of one of the more successful venture capital firms in Boston...let's call him Mr. D. The purpose of our meeting was to discuss a possible collaboration with one of his ventures. As the discussion unfolded, it was clear that his attention was elsewhere, so I asked him if this was the case. He seemed relieved, and emotionally stated that he had just concluded a phone conversation with the outside directors of a promising venture in which he was the lead investor. The venture, with annual revenues over $20 million, was pioneering a new, important technological field. The outside directors were aware of the leadership problems, and were not surprised that Mr. D. was recommending the removal of the founder and his replacement an individual Mr. D. believed had the skills, experience, and desire to lead the company well into the rapid growth phase profitably. This was in spite of Mr. D's several frank one-on-one discussions with the firm's founder that revolved around his bringing in a new CEO, thereby permitting the founder to concentrate on the R&D efforts that were so essential for success. The founder refused to relinquish total control of his baby.

The founder's loss represented a serious setback for the investors, but one if not taken put the venture at extreme risk. It took several years before the company got back on its rapid growth phase while retaining its leadership position in its markets.

Would the entrepreneur have acted differently if he had read Catlin & Matthews' book with its real life examples? I can't tell, but he might have accepted his new role...after all, it would have been in his own self-interest - he owned about 30% of the stock.

Another example. I was on the board of a company facing the same kind of problem. The company had grown from $800,000 in revenues to somewhat over $5 million in 15 months. The CEO confided in me that the joy of building his creation was being displaced by too many operating details. First he brought in a solid COO, but soon thereafter asked us the board to find his replacement. He gave us enough time to do this as we worked out ways we could collaborate with him in the near future.

Similar stories repeated time and time again. Catlin & Matthews offer constructive advise to help entrepreneurs make it through their growth phases - or to counsel them to face reality. Bravo, Katherine and Jana; may your book gain widespread use.

Catlin & Matthews at least spell out for entrepreneurs the nature of the game they are in. To ignore their advice seems, to me, to be foolhardy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Superb Look at the Changing Demands on the CEO, June 28, 2001

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Leading at the Speed of Growth: Journey from Entrepreneur to CEO (Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership) (Hardcover)

Summary: Almost everyone has an idea at some point in their lives for a great new company. Of those who go forward with those ideas, few actually get to stick around to enjoy all of the benefits of the eventual success. The reason is that many such founder CEOs remain stuck in the roles and habits that were essential to getting off to a good start. Those habits in turn become the limitations that keep the enterprise from growing. This book is an invaluable resource for CEOs who want to understand how they need to grow with the job. The book would have been greatly improved by including a focus on how the top management team needs to change its roles and focus as well. Without that detailed level of perspective, CEOs will still stumble with this information.

Review: "But the sad reality is that relatively few members of this wave of entrepreneurs will still be in charge when the companies they founded break through to super success." "The mission of Learning at the Speed of Growth is to enable many more entrepreneurs to be great leaders of growth companies."

The book's title is an outstanding one for its subject. The CEO's ability to learn is a key key limit to a company's success. When an improved product or service ignites rapid growth, it is typical for the growth to exceed that of the CEO's ability to learn. The board eventually finds a replacement who already has those lessons under her or his belt.

While no book can teach you everything you need to know, you can use this book as a road map to tell you where you need to go next.

"The irony of entrepreneurial ledership is that the very behaviors and habit patterns that lead to success at one stage of growth contribute to failure in the next stage." Keep that lesson in mind. It's the important take-away from this book.

In the start-up phase, the CEO is both a doer and a decision-maker. In the initial growth phase, the CEO's best roles are as delegator and direction setter. If the CEO tries to keep doing all the key roles, the CEO becomes a stall who delays everything. In the rapid growth phase, the CEO's best roles are as team builder, coach, planner, and communicator. That's the stage where many CEO's don't have the experience to leap the talent chasm within themselves. Think of Chuck Scwab as a good role model here. In the continuous growth phase, the CEO should be a change catalyst, organization builder, promoter of innovation, and chief of culture. Think of Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines in that last role.

The book also addresses what the company's focus should be. During start-up, it's developing new products and services. During initial growth, it's driving sales forward. In rapid growth, it is leading the market. And in continuous growth it is dominating the industry. Those who have followed Geoffrey Moore's work will recognize a similarity to the stages he describes in Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado.

The material in the book is greatly improved by sections called "red flags" where warning signs of the need to change are identified.

I found the book to be limited in not providing enough guidance about the roles of the rest of the top management team during these transitions. The work of Adizes on that subject is a good complement to the material in this fine book.

CEOs would do well to find coaches to help them with these transitions if the shifts call for roles for which they have no experience. Those who wish to be CEOs of start-ups would be helped by organizing their careers to get these experiences before becoming a CEO.

A take-away from this book is to think about all of the roles in which you have to change in your life. For example, as a parent, you are initially a loving adult and caregiver for babies. But when you children are 25, they need something different. You need to make those transitions along the way, or you lose the connection to their most urgent emotional, psychological, and physical needs.

Learn the art of improvisation . . . so that you can play any role on a moment's notice!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Grow Your Business that runs itself!, May 9, 2001

By 

Daniel R. Gould (Framingham, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leading at the Speed of Growth: Journey from Entrepreneur to CEO (Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership) (Hardcover)

Catlin and Matthews have captured the essence of the struggles and pitfalls that face a rapid growth entrepreneur. This book is MUST reading for any entrepreneur. Does the company really know where to focus if there is no vision and plan for the company? Are we trying to win the Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup is my analogy. This book illuminates the underlying bottlenecks to growth and alignment within a fast growing company. The book is easy reading with numerous quotes from other entrepreneurs that support the themes of the book.