
“Everyone assumes the company’s CEO is fully committed to the vision,” Brooks Bell explains in the latest issue of Inc. magazine. “The truth is, a lot of CEOs aren’t.” And this misalignment leads to a company that is unpleasant to work for and prone to floundering, strategically.
Fixing this can be a difficult—even painful—process. Around 2007, Brooks went through this with her own company, transitioning Brooks Bell Inc. from a creatively driven email marketing agency to a data-driven testing and optimization firm. The transformation was challenging but in the end a stronger, more deeply aligned organization emerged.
“It was the first time I finally embraced the idea of thinking strategically,” Brooks explains. “I got to go out and create the market I wanted.”
And there’s a lesson here for all business leaders:
Most entrepreneurs won’t admit they’re not all in and are feeling less committed than they once did. But realize: It starts with you. Have a vision of what you want. Let there be a huge gap between where you are and how you’re going to get there. Map out the next two steps and let the rest be a gray area. Trust that you’ll get there if you stick to that vision.
Read the rest in the latest issue of Inc. magazine.
Wondering how aligned your company is to a data-driven strategy? Use our assessment to find out.
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