Pacing for Growth
Pacing for Growth
Why Intelligent Restraint Drives Long-term Success
Edition: 1
Pages: 200
Publication Date: 06 February, 2017
Available in all formats
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ISBN:
9781626568198
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ISBN:
9781626568181
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Relentless speed and unconstrained activity are not necessary for growth-you need only look to companies like Enron, Pets.com, and Groupon to see that “fast” does not always mean “good.” Leading growth consultant Alison Eyring provides a different view on growth, preaching restraint, not rushing in.
“It's a marathon, not a sprint.” We hear this truism all the time, but in business there's constant pressure to go all out and never let up. Leaders are driven to set stretch targets, relentlessly reduce costs, launch new initiatives, expand into new markets, hire more people, develop more capabilities, and execute flawlessly. It all sounds great-until the company overextends itself and collapses like a badly trained racehorse in the home stretch.
So what is the right pace for steady, sustainable growth? How do you know when to push yourself and when to back off? Growth consultant Alison Eyring (who also happens to be a distance runner) says the answer is what she calls Intelligent Restraint. Eyring shows precisely how you can evaluate your company's current capacity for growth so you can restrain yourself from exceeding it, no matter how tempting the supposed opportunities seem. Then she offers a set of practices for gradually building that capacity so you can grow steadily but sensibly in a way that strengthens your company instead of stretching it to the breaking point.
“It's a marathon, not a sprint.” We hear this truism all the time, but in business there's constant pressure to go all out and never let up. Leaders are driven to set stretch targets, relentlessly reduce costs, launch new initiatives, expand into new markets, hire more people, develop more capabilities, and execute flawlessly. It all sounds great-until the company overextends itself and collapses like a badly trained racehorse in the home stretch.
So what is the right pace for steady, sustainable growth? How do you know when to push yourself and when to back off? Growth consultant Alison Eyring (who also happens to be a distance runner) says the answer is what she calls Intelligent Restraint. Eyring shows precisely how you can evaluate your company's current capacity for growth so you can restrain yourself from exceeding it, no matter how tempting the supposed opportunities seem. Then she offers a set of practices for gradually building that capacity so you can grow steadily but sensibly in a way that strengthens your company instead of stretching it to the breaking point.
Description
Relentless speed and unconstrained activity are not necessary for growth-you need only look to companies like Enron, Pets.com, and Groupon to see that “fast” does not always mean “good.” Leading growth consultant Alison Eyring provides a different view on growth, preaching restraint, not rushing in.
“It's a marathon, not a sprint.” We hear this truism all the time, but in business there's constant pressure to go all out and never let up. Leaders are driven to set stretch targets, relentlessly reduce costs, launch new initiatives, expand into new markets, hire more people, develop more capabilities, and execute flawlessly. It all sounds great-until the company overextends itself and collapses like a badly trained racehorse in the home stretch.
So what is the right pace for steady, sustainable growth? How do you know when to push yourself and when to back off? Growth consultant Alison Eyring (who also happens to be a distance runner) says the answer is what she calls Intelligent Restraint. Eyring shows precisely how you can evaluate your company's current capacity for growth so you can restrain yourself from exceeding it, no matter how tempting the supposed opportunities seem. Then she offers a set of practices for gradually building that capacity so you can grow steadily but sensibly in a way that strengthens your company instead of stretching it to the breaking point.
“It's a marathon, not a sprint.” We hear this truism all the time, but in business there's constant pressure to go all out and never let up. Leaders are driven to set stretch targets, relentlessly reduce costs, launch new initiatives, expand into new markets, hire more people, develop more capabilities, and execute flawlessly. It all sounds great-until the company overextends itself and collapses like a badly trained racehorse in the home stretch.
So what is the right pace for steady, sustainable growth? How do you know when to push yourself and when to back off? Growth consultant Alison Eyring (who also happens to be a distance runner) says the answer is what she calls Intelligent Restraint. Eyring shows precisely how you can evaluate your company's current capacity for growth so you can restrain yourself from exceeding it, no matter how tempting the supposed opportunities seem. Then she offers a set of practices for gradually building that capacity so you can grow steadily but sensibly in a way that strengthens your company instead of stretching it to the breaking point.
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword by Marshall Goldsmith
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part 1: The Principles of Intelligent Restraint
- Part 2: The Rules of Intelligent Restraint
- Part 3: Put Intelligent Restraint to Work
- Epilogue
- Appendix: PACER for Self-Renewal
- Notes
- Acknowledgments
- Index
- About Alison
- Working with Organisation Solutions
Review quote
“As CEO, I am constantly faced with the tension of leading a successful company to execute our core business and, at the same time, prepare ourselves for the future. Pacing for Growth gives leaders a new approach to solving this inherent paradox.”
-Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group
“I applaud Alison's call for Intelligent Restraint before we blindly dash to the next challenge. Her expert advice and counsel is second to none, and I promise your organization will achieve more in the long run if you accept her wise counsel!”
-Jim Kouzes, coauthor of the bestselling The Leadership Challenge and Dean's Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University
“Sustainable business success hinges on building capacity for both growth and endurance. Alison Eyring shares a unique and compelling perspective based on experience, research, and corporate case studies. A great practical guide for HR leaders!”
-Lisa Connell, Executive Director, HR People + Strategy
“Pacing for Growth takes a fresh look at growth from a personal and professional perspective, offering an innovative way to approach one of the biggest challenges in organizations, no matter their size. It's a good read not only if you are seeking success for your company but also if you are looking for a way to drive innovation and make a positive and lasting impact.”
-Cesar Cernuda, President, Microsoft Latin America
“Delivering growth is a prerogative for almost every business leader. Pacing for Growth draws a compelling distinction between simply delivering growth and creating a sustainable advantage in the process of delivering growth. The book reinforces that the ‘how' matters and provides simple principles that can inspire leaders to accomplish sustained growth.”
-Karthik Rao, President, Nielsen
“Pacing for Growth is a great reminder that the best businesses grow value by combining continuous improvement with successful innovation. Creating the capacity for growth is a long race, and Alison Eyring gives leaders around the globe practical advice on what it takes to win.”
-Mark Gainsborough, Executive Vice President, New Energies, Royal Dutch Shell
“Pacing for Growth is a compelling read drawing parallels from sports and applying them to the business world. It provides a no-nonsense approach for leaders wanting to simultaneously build capabilities and capacity for sustained healthy growth.”
-Marko Ilincic, Senior Vice President and Head of Asia and Pacific, The LEGO Group
“Pacing for Growth is a provocative discussion on what really works to accelerate personal and organizational success. I see threads in what Alison describes as ‘Intelligent Restraint' in agile methodologies-i.e., sprint, test, refine. Ultimately, we all need to slow down at times to go fast. I highly recommend Pacing for Growth.”
-Mike Dulworth, President and CEO, Executive Networks, Inc.
“Intelligent Restraint so clearly articulates the tension between pace and endurance and demonstrates why entrepreneurial businesses must adhere to the ‘less is more' principle. Authoritative and packed with compelling evidence from both academic research and practice, this book will forever change how you think about growth and the people side of business success.”
-Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, CEO, Hogan Assessment Systems, and Professor of Business Psychology, University College London and Columbia University
“Intelligent Restraint is a great concept that organizations can use to build capacity for the future with the right discipline and pace. Alison Eyring's powerful triathlon analogy makes it an easy and interesting read. Clearly, Intelligent Restraint can be applied to the challenges we face in both our business and personal lives.”
-Umran Beba, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer for Human Capital Management Services and Operations, PepsiCo
“Alison Eyring is a remarkable storyteller! Pacing for Growth drives home the importance of self-awareness, endurance, and good coaching for all business leaders, wherever they are in their growth curve.”
-Vladimir Makatsaria, Company Group Chairman, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices (Asia Pacific)
-Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group
“I applaud Alison's call for Intelligent Restraint before we blindly dash to the next challenge. Her expert advice and counsel is second to none, and I promise your organization will achieve more in the long run if you accept her wise counsel!”
-Jim Kouzes, coauthor of the bestselling The Leadership Challenge and Dean's Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University
“Sustainable business success hinges on building capacity for both growth and endurance. Alison Eyring shares a unique and compelling perspective based on experience, research, and corporate case studies. A great practical guide for HR leaders!”
-Lisa Connell, Executive Director, HR People + Strategy
“Pacing for Growth takes a fresh look at growth from a personal and professional perspective, offering an innovative way to approach one of the biggest challenges in organizations, no matter their size. It's a good read not only if you are seeking success for your company but also if you are looking for a way to drive innovation and make a positive and lasting impact.”
-Cesar Cernuda, President, Microsoft Latin America
“Delivering growth is a prerogative for almost every business leader. Pacing for Growth draws a compelling distinction between simply delivering growth and creating a sustainable advantage in the process of delivering growth. The book reinforces that the ‘how' matters and provides simple principles that can inspire leaders to accomplish sustained growth.”
-Karthik Rao, President, Nielsen
“Pacing for Growth is a great reminder that the best businesses grow value by combining continuous improvement with successful innovation. Creating the capacity for growth is a long race, and Alison Eyring gives leaders around the globe practical advice on what it takes to win.”
-Mark Gainsborough, Executive Vice President, New Energies, Royal Dutch Shell
“Pacing for Growth is a compelling read drawing parallels from sports and applying them to the business world. It provides a no-nonsense approach for leaders wanting to simultaneously build capabilities and capacity for sustained healthy growth.”
-Marko Ilincic, Senior Vice President and Head of Asia and Pacific, The LEGO Group
“Pacing for Growth is a provocative discussion on what really works to accelerate personal and organizational success. I see threads in what Alison describes as ‘Intelligent Restraint' in agile methodologies-i.e., sprint, test, refine. Ultimately, we all need to slow down at times to go fast. I highly recommend Pacing for Growth.”
-Mike Dulworth, President and CEO, Executive Networks, Inc.
“Intelligent Restraint so clearly articulates the tension between pace and endurance and demonstrates why entrepreneurial businesses must adhere to the ‘less is more' principle. Authoritative and packed with compelling evidence from both academic research and practice, this book will forever change how you think about growth and the people side of business success.”
-Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, CEO, Hogan Assessment Systems, and Professor of Business Psychology, University College London and Columbia University
“Intelligent Restraint is a great concept that organizations can use to build capacity for the future with the right discipline and pace. Alison Eyring's powerful triathlon analogy makes it an easy and interesting read. Clearly, Intelligent Restraint can be applied to the challenges we face in both our business and personal lives.”
-Umran Beba, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer for Human Capital Management Services and Operations, PepsiCo
“Alison Eyring is a remarkable storyteller! Pacing for Growth drives home the importance of self-awareness, endurance, and good coaching for all business leaders, wherever they are in their growth curve.”
-Vladimir Makatsaria, Company Group Chairman, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices (Asia Pacific)
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