The Prudent Pool Shark

No matter how you slice and dice intrinsic and instrumental value, there tend to be three critical attributes most high-growth and balanced companies have. 1. They always have an ambitious yet realistic evolving business plan (with a great product and service, of course) 2. The potential for continued growth, and 3. Great leaders.?

Let's focus on #3 - since there's nothing like helpful symbolism to convey a message, here we go!

Allegory

A Shark and a Salmon walk into a bar and decide to play some billiards together. Who has the best chance to win the most out of five games? I'll provide some helpful characteristics for each "fish."

Siloed Salmon

• Narrowly Focused: 1 shot and 1 ball at a time.
• Rudimentary Approach: Understand the game's general rules, know they're aiming for stripes, but rarely reach beyond their comfort level.?
• Confined Purview: 1 pocket and avoidance of 1 other ball at a time.
• Coincidentally Serendipitous: Typically play hard, want to win, but unknowingly rely heavily on other things bouncing in their favor to win with any form of consistency.?

Note: Success and failure don't just impact them at an individual level; it also affects their school of fish. For them, this is rarely pondered.?

Prudent Pool Shark

• Encyclopedic Approach: Mindful of all balls, the environment, and even the slope of the table.
• Dynamic in Nature: Always learning, expanding, and strengthening skills.?
• Calculated Runs: Deliberately thorough, aware of corresponding reverberation, and anticipate most results.?

Note: Usually, they're cognizant of the financial impact not only to themselves but to their school as well. Swimming in circles isn't by happenstance; it's almost a disposition.?

Those who are great at pool are the ones who have a strategic approach, with attention to detail and a plan that extends beyond the one ball in front of them. They don't just pick a pocket and push the ball towards it, hoping for a good outcome and the chance at another opportunity. Of course, making that ball is essential, but it's equally important to set themselves up for success with their next few shots. It's about speed, quality, finding a rhythm, and wrapping yourself in a blanket of confidence fueled by your systematic approach. While one person, I mean fish, is focused on slapping 1 ball around, the other analyzes angles, leverages other assets like walls, and usually weighs the varying potential outcomes.?

In situations like this, before you know it, a Shark is lining up the eight-ball for the win while the Salmon still has six striped balls on the table, asking themselves what happened.?

I think the most likely outcome of the five-game series is obvious—no need for video footage or explanation.?

Quintessence

If we translate this example to the business world, we see some very common themes. Leaders who help organizations excel tend to have very similar characteristics to the Shark. Other leaders have traits comparable to the Salmon.?

Other Leaders "The Salmon"

• Singularly focused. For example, a sales leader that fixates on meeting a quota or a specific sale without any regard to the more significant impact on the business. Get the deal and "throw it over the fence" instead of asking themselves and their teams A. is this the right type of customer who will see value? B. Is our product ready to support their needs? C. How will it impact our teams who need to provide the product and support the new relationship is dependant on? In common situations like this, while the sales number is initially met and revenue is generated, profit dwindles over time due to product management issues, overextended customer success and support teams, and a wide array of inefficiencies. Sure, you make it past mile marker 1, but you're battered and bruised, heading towards the finish line.?
• The antithesis of unified. This is where journeys, like customer journeys, are extremely helpful. Some leaders build, manage, and act as one siloed functional unit, focusing on their specific goal. Well, guess what? That's not how the experience works for the prospect and eventual customer. And it sure as heck isn't the way to help a company operate like a well-oiled machine. Considering Newton's third law, "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" is important. It's critical to have alignment with groups, leaders, goals, etc., across the business to ensure the internal (your company) and external (your customer) experience is frictionless while staying value-focused.?
• Coincidentally Serendipitous. There's a reason the proverb "a chain is no stronger than its weakest link" and the idiom “no I in team” have been around forever and are just as true now as they were in the late 1700s. The more connected you are as a company, the stronger and more consistent your results are.?

Strategic Unifiers "The Shark"

• Encyclopedic Approach: They are not narrowly focused at all. Instead of just their front yard, they think about the entire neighborhood. Each year, they help ensure a rockstar long-term plan is in place and clearly aligned short-term goals and objectives are committed to.?
• Strategically Calculated: Unlike Salesly Sam above, they ensure they are marketing to the right prospects at the right time with the right offering, taking pride in the promises made to customers and setting them up for success. They also set their company up for success this way too. Want to know the real irony? Often, the byproduct of an approach like this is future (earned and fitting) customer expansion, a referral or two from the happy customer, and an automatic/non-event renewal process. You can imagine the impact on your company's overall margins, not to mention the culture of the business, if this is done with any form of consistency.?
• The Heart of a Unifier: They think in terms of journeys, grand experiences, and all of the systematic pieces that make it all happen. By doing this, they understand the importance of the team beyond the individual. Sure, a Timing Belt is important, but I think it's safe to say the overall performance of the engine supersedes that.?

Finale

If a company can hire and groom Strategic Unifiers, the sky is truly the limit, especially in today's world.??

You can pretend your company is like an ecosystem, consisting of all the organisms and environments they interact with. These components are all linked together. If we can get leaders to think this way and almost run their work, teams, departments, etc., like thoughtful GMs who understand the business, current state, and future state, you'll be set up for scalable and continued growth.?

I'll close here and leave you with two important virtual articles of clothing:

1. Your Customer Hat: You exist because of your customer. They depend on the value you promised to provide. And they are human. Make them a part of your team, and always consider them. It's not just about the marketing campaign to "land" them or the sales nudge to get them to sign on the dotted line. It's also about a smooth and helpful onboarding experience, continued well-guided support, and desired outcomes that are consistently met.?
2. Your Employee Socks: You prevail because of your employees. They, too, depend on the value provided to customers. They also rely on being set up for continued success and consistently good experiences. It's not just about seeing that functional tasks are being met; it's about efficiency, scalability, continued training, and career growth.

The great companies out there are no longer functionally operational with siloed departments; they are evolving around a journey-like methodology, unified leadership, and a commitment to the mission they represent. They lift each other up and enjoy the ride together.?

Until next time.