Focusing on the Systems, Not the Symptoms with Dave Newell

Mar 6, 2024

Dave Newell, CEO of Evolve Leadership Consulting, empowers small business leaders to optimize their operations using the Five Facets of Business. He reveals how many companies struggle because they’re too focused on symptoms rather than addressing underlying systems. Newell shares a compelling case study of a company transforming from a chaotic $750,000 operation to a streamlined organization on the path to $20 million. With insights on self-delusion, communication, and strategic alignment, he emphasizes that true growth requires a holistic approach.

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INSIGHT

Interconnected Systems

Every business decision impacts other areas of the business.
Consider the ripple effects before making changes, like in sales or marketing.

ANECDOTE

Systems Over Symptoms

A screw-driving systems manufacturer with disgruntled employees and late deliveries had underlying systems issues.
Addressing undocumented processes and lack of vision improved culture and cut production time.

ANECDOTE

Misguided Vision

An Amazon marketing company, aiming for $20M from $750K, stressed its team with unrealistic goals and poor operations.
Focusing on scalable structures, retention, and core business is crucial for growth, not just acquisition.

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If you’re feeling overwhelmed by unsuccessful attempts to grow your business, you may be too focused on the systems. Growth happens when the focus shifts to addressing the systems, not the symptoms, of your company.

Today’s guest is Dave Newell, CEO of Evolve Leadership Consulting. Dave works with small business leaders to implement the Five Facets of Business — a small business operating system — to optimize processes and foster team alignment around culture, strategy, operations, story, and finances.

When systems and behaviors are aligned, the magic can start to happen. In the early days of Dave’s work, he quickly realized that every business is a series of systems that not only have to interact with each other, but they have a major impact on each other.

Dave highlights a $750,000 company that had the goal of scaling up to $20 million. Their operations were a nightmare, the CEO had unrealistic goals, and the team was uninspired and stressed out. The systems — not the symptoms — were the root problem that was holding this company back. By creating simplified, scalable structures, the company was able to create manageable systems that more effectively supported its target market and its core business.

Business is a complex web. Every decision impacts other decisions, and it takes a good hard look at what really matters most to figure out the next steps. Too often business owners hyperfocus on the one angle that makes them look good, but everyone around you can see your business success, or failure, from every angle. Ignore the symptoms, and the problems will only get worse. Address the symptoms, and real growth can finally start to happen.

Interview Links:

Dave Newell

Resources:

Growth Navigator Coaching

Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.)

Bill on YouTube

Recruiter.com Short List (use code scaleup)

Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail.

Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the show, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth.

We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash so that they can Scale Up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. Scaling Up is based on Verne’s original best-selling business book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits.

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