For years, David Mitchell has coached companies and business leaders to succeed by helping them create the tools and processes they need to make a business successful. Learn the secrets of why businesses succeed, why customers stay loyal or leave, and how to be an effective business leader. Unfortunately, it would be impossible for him to train all companies, so he has now written Building Your Booming Business to share the top strategies companies need if they want to get ahead and stay in a competitive market. And surprisingly, it’s not just about making a profit or even having a better product.
Mitchell guides the reader through what he calls The Five Pillars of Business that are necessary for any company, no matter how large or small, to succeed in today’s business world. I don’t think I’m revealing too much or surprising anyone by stating what those fundamentals are: marketing, management / leadership, operations, finance, and systems and controls. But what makes this book stand out is that Mitchell knows to keep all of these foundations strong at the same time. He likens this to trying to spin the plates, and if not done right, one of your plates or foundation can collapse and cause the entire company to fail. Mitchell guides readers through the process of making sure they have the foundations in place and the equipment to keep the foundations strong.
Mitchell’s discussion of each foundation is divided into several chapters that cover topics such as determining your target market, building a miracle team, the hidden marketing secret, knowing your company’s financial score, and how to avoid over-systematization. Mitchell then dedicates a section to asking the reader to be introspective and observe their own personal success habits. Even if the five foundations are established for a company, they are only as strong as the people behind them. Mitchell asks his readers to consider what it really means to be a leader, he explores how to motivate yourself, the importance of taking care of yourself outside the workplace, and how to follow through so your business and personal life thrive.
One of my favorite parts of the book was when Mitchell talked about leadership and divided it into its different types: directive, supportive, consultative, and empowering. Then he discussed each one. For example, describe the managerial leadership style by saying:
“I heard that the managerial style is described as the ‘John Wayne’ leadership style – telling the team exactly what to do and when to do it. Many leaders prefer this style because it is the easiest. It is also the most stressful because the leader leads the way. cargo and all knowledge. “
However, while the managerial style has its flaws, Mitchell points out that it is the best style in certain situations:
“Managerial leadership is best used when the leader has all the information, while the team has very little, such as when forming a team for the first time or while training a new employee. We will go into team development and how it fits in. the managerial style later. For now, know that this is a ‘micromanagement’ style.
“Leadership is also best used in a disaster or emergency situation when there is little time to collaborate and discuss a solution. First responders are taught the leadership management style: do not ask or beg someone to seek help; tell them what to do. make.”
Consequently, Mitchell confirms that there are no easy answers as to which leadership style is better or worse. Each has its strengths and appropriate place depending on the leader, the team, and the business, and the appropriate style may change as the business and team change or evolve. At the end of this discussion, Mitchell offers an insightful quiz to help the reader determine which style he uses most often and also to determine when and how to switch to a different leadership style.
Beyond the facts and strategies Mitchell presents, I appreciated his sense of humor and his personal stories. He’s not afraid to tell it like it is, such as why “holy cows” often need to be eliminated from a business. He uses personal examples, including from his first business experiences mowing grass, as well as more recent ones, such as discussing why the taco place he frequents is seldom advertised but always crowded, and why he keeps going there for more. He tells stories of companies he has helped, exploring both what they were doing wrong and how they finally got there. He even explains why he isn’t going to get a free massage from the place that gave him a coupon, but why he loves the place where he changes his car oil.
All of these stories and strategies reveal that Mitchell is a real person who understands the customer experience and the difficulties of running a business. His ability to see situations from both sides qualifies him to help companies better understand their customers, leaders better understand their teams, and readers better understand what they need to do to build a booming business. And Mitchell shares it well on these pages. Building your booming business is a safe start, whether you want to start a business or take it to the next level or beyond.