CEO: Behind the Scenes

What it really takes to scale a business

15 snips
Oct 16, 2025
Verne Harnish, Founder and CEO of Scaling Up and a prominent voice in entrepreneurial growth, shares key insights into scaling businesses. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity-driven leadership and nurturing company culture while maintaining pricing power. Harnish reveals how great CEOs identify constraints and the need for strategic pricing models. He advocates for a coaching approach in management, encouraging modern compensation structures that reward top talent without pushing them into unwelcome roles. A fascinating discussion for any aspiring leader!
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INSIGHT

Operate Like A Professional Sports Team

  • Run your company like a pro sports team: coach not manage and publish real-time stats.
  • Owners earn most, players should earn more than managers to drive performance.
ADVICE

Leaders Must Be Avid Learners

  • Read widely and often to stay a learning leader and unlock new ideas.
  • Treat learning as a habit and leverage AI to tap huge amounts of knowledge efficiently.
ADVICE

Measure Return On Payroll

  • Track return on payroll (ROP): gross margin dollars divided by total payroll.
  • Use ROP to adjust pricing and compensation so growth doesn't turn into 'growing broke.'
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