10 principles for leading a high-growth business

John Leach, chairman of Winning Pitch, outlines 10 ways for high-growth business leaders to help their business break through to the next level.

1. Develop yourself - Embrace change and commit to personal development. Only if you grow and develop yourself, will the business grow and develop.
2. Show leadership - Highly tuned leadership and management capability lies at the heart of strong profitable growth. An ability to enthuse others, set and execute strategy is paramount. Internal and external leadership must be displayed at all times.
3. Be future-focused - Shared clarity of vision and strategy is a must. A practical game plan with clearly defined roles and responsibilities is paramount – success is based on 20% thinking and 80% doing. Work on and not just in your business.
4. Build a great team - Thinkers, sellers, doers and controllers provide the balance needed to build high growth momentum. Create a culture where values and behaviours are aligned to delivering great service both interally and externally.
5. Be disciplined with systems and processes – Innovation and entrepreneurial flair must be tempered with the implementation of a robust set of disciplined systems, processes and controls. The appropriate dials on the dashboard (KPIs) will provide a real time picture of the company state of health. Finance, sales, pipeline, customer service – be clear on the crucial dials for your business.
6. Gain an edge through innovation and creativity - Drive innovation into the processes and functions of your company and practice alternative thinking. Be clear on your points of difference and embed a culture of freshness. Fusion of ideas to create new ones helps to drive the “innovative edge”. Have a voice in your sector – be seen as a mover and shaker.
7. Build differentiated propositions - Stand out from the crowd and be memorable. Demonstrate and evidence the difference and impacts your products and services bring to customers. Avoid competing on price, this is unsustainable; compete on difference – IP, brand and quality.
8. Live in the customer's world – Only by seeing things from the customer’s point of view can real product and service needs be captured. This fuels a sales approach based on an authentic sense of purpose – it’s selling what you truly believe in and not just a product or service. Embed effective customer connectivity strategies within the find, reach, win, keep framework.
9. A winning mindset - Condition your mindset to one of infinite growth and potential – clarity, mental toughness, passion, determination, endurance, faith, sense of purpose, resilience, confidence. A BYC mentality – Believe You Can, is vital to entrepreneurs.
10. Have a mentor – Find connectors who can provide answers to the challenges you face. Experienced mentors will help to raise the bar of performance. Be part of a like-minded network of entrepreneurs, this not only eliminates the feeling of loneliness – but enables you to access people who can point you in the right direction.

Boost Business Lancashire has a wide range of support programmes available for businesses looking to achieve high growth. To discuss any of these programmes further, contact us on 0800 488 0057.