The Liberated CEO: The 9-Step Program to Running a Better Business so it Doesn't Run You

CHAPTER 8

MADE TO SELL: CHANGING THE WATCH

So far, you've learned seven strategies that empower you to climb to your ultimate goal—to become a liberated CEO. We've shown how your success depends on staying in your peak zone and out of the dead zone, where your business ascent can paradoxically trap you in the crosswinds of chaotic growth. We've shown you how our methods provide the leverage that allows your firm to break through the service business ceiling. As we've learned, owners and principals can't achieve these goals alone; it's also about your crew and their long-term success. One of the great satisfactions of leading a service business is that you have the liberty and capability to develop employees over a long period of time and benefit from their professional growth. While the title of our book speaks to leaders, our strategies help every committed professional stay in their peak zone.

Remember, you can deploy our ideas at different times and in the sequence that fits your situation. You may not need all of the steps if your business is newer or remains smaller than five people. To reach a particular goal, you may need to lean on one or two steps more than others. Over the cycle of a successful business, however, you are quite likely to need all of the steps. And for you and your team, selling the business isn't the final box to be checked, but an everyday reminder of what it takes to be a liberated CEO. In fact, much of our book has been about getting to the point where ...