Four parts not seldom included when thinking about how to grow a company. Most leaders think about cash flow, production or the ability to deliver. This column proposes more critical areas that will benefit the company both short and long term.

1. The ABC's of Growth
Every business owner, CEO and top executive I know is interested in growing their company. Growth consists of
increased revenue, more profits, better clients, more clients, stronger cash flow, a stronger balance sheet, higher
productivity, improved efficiencies and reduced costs.
Many leaders mistakenly believe that all the elements needed to grow already exist within their organizations. Sadly,
some critical components are missing because if they were already in use, past growth would have been be easier, faster
and considerably more efficient. Based my research and experience, I have identified four elements commonly missing
from the profitable growth formula.
A is for Accountability. Most companies lack a formal system of full accountability. Developing and maintaining a
formal accountability system for every department and every employee is a challenging task yet can be the ultimate
competitive advantage worth millions of dollars each year.
What is accountability? Many leaders would suggest it is a formal HR evaluation system. Most operate under the belief
that such a system is in place and working just fine at their companies. They are lying to themselves; very few
organizations pull this management responsibility off consistently. Making matters worse, evaluations are trailing
indicators not leading ones.
Accountability drives focused action towards desired results. Companies usually do a decent job of having goals and
plans for sales. As a result, turnover is usually highest in sales, because the results are visible. It’s also easy to measure
production and service. But as departments move away from direct interaction with external clients accountability
becomes more difficult to define. Accountability starts with the person at the top. The leader must be held as
accountable for metrics as those on the bottom rung of the org chart. And the employees have to see that their leader
is being held accountable the same way they are for them to believe in the process.
B is for Better. The second is the concept of improving everything (processes, products, execution and clients) and
the leaders, managers and employees must continually improve in their jobs if the organization is going to grow.
In a recent interview with Tim Tebow, an award winning former college football player, he said that the thoughts going
through the mind of the players on the day of the NCAA championship game, are simply “belief and edge.” Tebow
elaborated by saying a team can win through constant belief that they are capable of winning and that by constant
improvement. Individually and collectively, the players and the team must keep and maintain an edge over their
competition. Leaders are not exempt from the challenge to become better at running their organizations. The only way
employees will know the leader is serious about becoming better is when they see and hear the leader grow as their
leader.
C is for Collaboration. Success in companies is often the direct result of a handful of top performers pulling the
company ahead through energy, drive and the promise of rewards. Many employees complain about how the top
performers go about this task. Year after year, these key individuals save the company from stagnation or decline; they
depart when they grow tired of carrying the load without enough reward. The toxic lack of teamwork can be replaced
by 100 percent collaboration if leadership is willing. This requires a culture change to create a team working together for
a common purpose instead a company paying for individual work and reward.
S is for Strategic. All thinking has to be beyond the crisis of today to the possibilities of continual success tomorrow.
This is an exclusive domain of leadership; only in rare instances do employees take a view beyond the end of the current
year. If the leader is not looking beyond the immediate future, no one is.