Managing Organizational Complexity (wsg Walt Brown)

During this episode, You, Me, and Your Top Three host and CGS Advisors CEO, Gregg Garrett, reflects on how we should all consider the journey we are on and how we may find some useful patterns in it. He then welcome Walt Brown, a Certified EOS® Implementer and Founder of Walt Brown Co. Walt speaks about how organizations are getting much more complex and how major change is needed now more than ever. And, of course, he speaks about his ‘Top 3’ ranging from business partners, to his father, to a coach, to visionaries. And you have to hear what he has to say about the power of asking questions and then just listening. About Walt Brown “Seasoned multi-company entrepreneur” is one label that has been used to describe Walt over the years. Many folks refer to Walt as an entrepreneur, but he insists this is much too generous: “I don’t consider myself an entrepreneur. I consider myself someone who is good at seeing existing patterns and pulling them together in logical ways that people are willing to pay for, then I build teams to serve the pattern.” Walt is seven for seven when it comes to launching and growing new companies. During the last decade, he has helped transform the culture of more than one hundred fifty organizations across the country as an Implementer of an OOS known as the Entrepreneurial Operating System®. It is his greatest pleasure to work with his clients as they think, plan, execute, observe, adjust, and reflect as they master the skills necessary to permanently enjoy the fruits of a Patient Organization. So you can get a sense of his experience, combined, Walt’s 50 largest business clients have 8,711 employees, with average sales per employee of $245,786, their average size is $45.5 Million in revenue per year and combined they are doing over $2.2 Billion in sales. Since working together, their employee engagement has consistently risen, employee tenure has increased, and they have doubled their bottom lines and doubled their net free cash flow. Plus they are enjoying life with more freedom. He is typically working with 30 clients across 150 days in a year. Show Highlights Segment 1: Overview 0:47        Have we paused to document the world around us? 3:54        Activity: Make two lists and then consider them: What is different in your business? Who are you as a leader?  7:22       Walt Brown – Certified EOS® Implementer - Large and Small Companies Segment 2: The “Top Three” 10:27      “You know you’re leading when you see others aligning part of their future to your future.” 11:38      Walt’s ‘Top Three’: Ron Schuler; Walt’s father – early career and life guidance. 13:30      Walt’s ‘Top Three’: Alan Cobb – wisdom and leadership; the integrator. 16:30      Walt’s ‘Top Three’: Greg Walker – the coach; strategic thinking. 19:03      Current org. charts don’t capture the complexity of today’s organizations. 22:18      What drives the complexity? Culture. 24:28      The uniqueness of millennials – asking the right questions. Segment 3: Disruption & Transformation 28:51      “All evil is buried in an organization structure.” 31:06      What capabilities are needed in organizations? Segment 4: Leadership & Wrapping Up 35:04      Advice for leaders: “Stop thinking out loud.” 37:22      Advice for leaders: Stop talking and start listening. 38:27      Check out Death to the Org Chart. Stay in touch: walt@7q7p.com Additional Information Contact Walt Brown: Walt’s LinkedIn Walt’s Email Contact Gregg Garrett: Gregg’s LinkedIn Gregg’s Twitter Gregg’s Bio Contact CGS Advisors: Website LinkedIn Twitter

Om Podcasten

You, Me, and Your Top Three is a podcast focused on exploring leadership in the connecting world. Specifically, the podcast invites leaders to tell stories, reflect, and discuss their views on: - disruptions in industry and society; - how they are leading transformations considering these disruptions - brave leadership to drive transformation. It is this last point where we focus most of the discussion, asking our guests to share their insights into the relationships they have with their “Top 3” closest advisors. It is our observation and experience that as the world connects, the importance of a diverse set of counselors is increasing in value. For some this may be a formal advisor who has been contracted on behalf of the company. For most this will be deep relationships in which they have been invested and nurtured. Through stories and discussion, we strive to celebrate the art of giving and receiving advice. The stories that are told are heartfelt and real. At the root we are exploring the process of knowledge building, relationship building, and perhaps most importantly, confidence building. After all, it takes a brave leader to battle the inertia that exists in industries, our organizations, and in ourselves. It is our hope that as successful leaders open up about around the subjects and the way in which they interact with their closest confidants, that our listeners will, in turn, reflect on their own “virtual board of advisors.” Over time they will then surround themselves with those who help them stretch toward greatness and lead bravely in the connecting world.