Growing with People, During High Pressure

The Third Growth Option with Benno Duenkelsbuehler and Guests

What if developing people and teams in high pressure situations came down to being in the trenches with them, and food? OK, also about strategy, constantly evaluating yourself more than others, investing in them so they invest in you, and about food? Adding a dose of reality to what’s been said and written about leadership, growth, people, and winning talent wars – is my guest Craig McIntosh, a hard-charging sales executive, a long-time friend and senior leader with a family-owned business that grew to around $1 billion in sales by acquiring and being acquired several times.

2:12 – about how Craig changed the way he manages pressure: “In the beginning I was all about the numbers…but you spend more time with your team than your own family… you gotta enjoy what you’re doing… and walk around the pond (before you type that emotional response).”

6:03 – talking about pressure and growing… and food and socializing: “you have to break bread with your team.”

7:47 – on hiring people you’re proud of: “It’s about people who can buy into the culture, and you buy into them… we invest in people, so they invest back in you… you have to do things as a group to help build that comradery.”

9:35 – on building the Sunshine Committee” “to build the team up… we would have a popsicle truck, or Taco Tuesday, or bowling, or cocktails… we signed up for a serve day (to help the homeless), helped prepare the meal. It put things into perspective.”

12:56 – I asked Craig about unlearning being “transactional” (all about the numbers, as he said at 2:12), and more open to relationship building: “as the company grew, I had to grow, as a leader. What worked at $60M revenue, is not going to work at $120M or $500M or $1B. You constantly have to evaluate yourself.”

17:57 – “Just be honest… at the end everyone messes up (sometimes), and a lot of it is in your honesty, if you’re transparent… we only have our reputation.”