The Building Business Value newsletter has one purpose - to assist midmarket business leaders in their never-ending quest to build better companies. Whether you are the CEO of your own company, a senior manager of a business unit, or a leader in a company that serves those in the mid market, you will find something in each newsletter to help you serve your stakeholders. Each month we will cover a variety of topics, all focused on leading in the mid market.
We are very conscious that you spend much of your day buried in e-mail, so it is with your permission that we send this newsletter your way.
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| The Power of Attitude
Is it possible to change somebody's behavior? | Is it possible to get them to act differently? When we exert pressure and threaten punishment, is it possible to force someone to act differently?
If it does work, the effect is only temporary. To get someone to change from the inside out, you start with attitude. People change their behaviors when their world-view changes. The normal change process goes something like this:
- People accept a new idea as appropriate and possible.
- Their attitude changes.
- Their behavior changes.
In other words, until someone accepts a new idea as appropriate and possible, their attitude won't change. And until their attitudes change, their behavior won't change. At least not viscerally. They may fake it if it's in their best interest, but it won't be meaningful, lasting change.
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| Are Your Business Plans Ego Driven?
Be sure to deal in reality. | |
Normally, a leader's greatest attribute is unbridled optimism. As retired General Colin Powell says, "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier." You would rather have Colin Powell lead you into battle than Eeyore, but you also need to deal in reality. The unbridled optimism that turns a business dreamer into a business leader has a downside: it can keep executives from confronting the hard facts about their organizations. Sometimes leaders sweep so much bad news under the rug that they can hardly see their own desks. A bright outlook is terrific, as long as it is tempered by an ability to deal in reality, a trait that not all leaders have.
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Growth Strategy in a Box
Developing an Actionable and Collaborative Strategy in a Week
 "Growth Strategy in a Box" is a short but intense planning process designed to establish a clear direction and create alignment among the company's leadership. The lack of a clear, concise, and actionable direction often leaves company leadership rudderless. Our four step process will create three transformational, strategic initiatives based on your current situation, the market conditions, and your long range objectives. When executed, each initiative will move your company in the right direction.
For more information, please visit
http://www.corsum.com/strategic-planning/
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| Good Reads .....
My Latest Favorites | |
Outliers: The Story of Success
by Malcolm Gladwell
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This Holiday Season, Give a Gift with Real Value
Send your clients a copy of 'Building Business Value' ~ Add a custom label with your company logo and personalized message. ************************************************************** Retail $22.00 21 - 40 books > 30% discount = $16.00 / book 41 - 200 books > 50% discount = $12.00 / book 200 + books > 60% discount = $9.00 / book **************************************************************
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The Relationship of Execution to Success
Execution, or bad leadership? | I'm like a billion other people out there that read all (OK, almost all) of Seth Godin's work because it makes them think. I'm inspired and agree with most, flinch with some, struggle with a bit but reject very little. Seth's blog on The Hierarchy of Success finds me somewhere in the middle of 'struggle' and 'reject'.
I think most of my angst is in his perception of execution. Perhaps he has confused execution with minutiae or even obsession. Now my world is the world of midmarket companies and God knows there are a ton of midmarket executives that obsess over the details of a benefits package or the colors of the corporate logo, but I don't really consider this execution, just bad leadership.
Read More ... |
As a business operator, I have been in a position to lead a company during troubled times. Concerns over the direction of the company, sleepless nights worrying about debt and cash flow, high anxiety over closing a deal or a transaction - the challenges seem endless. But I've also experienced the highs of leadership - the real joy of meeting client needs, the fulfillment of shaping a team, and the satisfaction of watching a vision become a reality. As tough as it can be, there is really nothing quite like being a leader in the midmarket.
It is my sincere desire that this newsletter will support leaders in the midmarket as they navigate their way to building stronger, more valuable companies. I welcome your comments.
Sincerely,
Marty
Martin O'Neill
Corsum Consulting, LLC
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| | Marty O'Neill | Marty O'Neill founded Corsum Consulting, which focuses on one goal: helping companies build business value. He is a frequent speaker and consultant on leadership, corporate culture and building business value and is the author of Building Business Value (Third Bridge Press) and the co-author of Act Like an Owner (Wiley). As a business operator, Marty started and sold a company, positioned another for an LBO, and helped a third sell for a significant premium. Marty lives on the Magothy River in Maryland with his wife and three children.
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Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious.
~Bill Meyer
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Building Business Value: How to Command a Premium Price for Your Midsized Company
by Martin O'Neill (Third Bridge Press)
Hardcover 
List Price: $22.95
Our Price: $15.96 Buy Now
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Act Like an Owner Owner: Building an Ownership Culture
by Martin O'Neill (Wiley)
Hardcover
List Price: $39.95
Our Price: $24.53 Buy Now
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This is the most entertaining and thought provoking book I've read in a couple of years. I enjoyed Gladwell's other two books but this is far superior. I have not been able to stop talking about his concept of success. My wife thinks I'm his agent! He debunks the 'rags to riches' stories we've all grown up with and puts an analytic twist on just how groups like the Canadian National Hockey team and the Beatles made it to the top. He also tackles the success stories of contemporary Silicon Valley superstars as well as the condition of our public school education system. You may be able to discount elements of his overall thesis, but you will not be able to put the book down.
