Reading The Tea Leaves

As a young man in a high growth marketing agency where the average age was 25 I can recall quizzing the business owner during a 1-2-1 about his apparent obsession with growth.

I didn’t really “get the growth thing” as from where I was sitting, I thought we were doing pretty well at the time. I was doing some “leading edge” work with big name clients and I was enjoying challenging assignments.?

“Surely what we have is worth keeping rather than risking it for growth?”

I shall never forget his response...

“Growth!?!”

“You question why we want to grow?”

Awkward silence.

“There are 3 reasons we focus on growth:

1.???? Costs rise year on year.? I can assure you; you will come to me a few months when its your annual review wanting a pay rise. ?Growth pays for that.

2.???? When we grow, we are fighting to keep ahead of the competition. We measure that we are growing faster than they are so that we can invest more in people like you to give you the life you want - training, experiences, and exposure to the best our industry has to offer. If we fall behind our competition, we can’t do that.

3.???? It’s fun. We learn, we make mistakes, we learn more, but most of all we have fun doing it. We challenge ourselves to grow so we grow personally and enjoy our passion more and become masters at whatever we focus on becoming. Otherwise, it’s death by standing still and there is no way we are doing that.”

Sobering silence.

He leaned in.? “Are you on board?”

“You have a choice.”

“Either you sign on for a career and grow with us or you accept a job. ?A job – just over broke - has a finite life because nothing stays still forever. ?So, I guess when you reach the end of the road with whatever job you think you are doing you can leave with our best wishes and get another job. “

“However, if you choose a career which comes with growth prospects you commit to a different set of “all in” behaviours - with us. ??“All in” means you find it within yourself to strive for excellence where “it’ll do will never do”, love your work, talk about this business with pride, and be the best you can be.”

“What’s it to be?? Are you onboard??

Decision time.

I just remember thinking that’s why he works so hard, travels so much, stays late, and is who he is. ?It is not just about money. ?

Sometimes you just need somebody to help you read the tea leaves.

That conversation made me sit up and reflect on the realities of having a career with a company determined to go places and building a life versus having a job.?

I committed to my choice and never looked back.?

Life is growth.? You grow or you die.

And as I have passed through life, I have come to appreciate that those who embrace and deeply love their passion never grow old.? They may die of old age, but they die young.

About the Author

Les is a coach, consultant, and facilitator who works with growth-oriented MDs and CEOs of businesses in “scale-up”.? He is a director of 20-20 Management which is a performance improvement company that specialises in leadership development and growth.?

Les has a proven track record of helping clients deliver successful results by addressing vision and strategy, organisation structure, culture, and performance, and managing change to create more accountable, affordable, and agile businesses.

Contact Les to share an experience, thought, or idea or if you have questions about how to improve leadership and business performance.

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