I recently went one-on-one with John McGuckin, CEO of Clio.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
John: My early career provided me with a roadmap that I could not have imagined. Somehow, fate dictated that I would find myself working for some of the most notable entrepreneurs in the food industry. Often, these folks either had their name on the package, or deserved to have their name on the package. All of my experiences have been a blessing one way or the other, from early on with Bob Rich and then Murray Lender, to Gene Merkert, and then Yehuda Pearl at Sabra, and now Sergey Konchakovskiy at Clio, I’m happy to have been a part of these entrepreneurs’ stories. It was their passion and love for their brands and culture that provided so much inspiration for me.
Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?
John: Failure: Past failure can be your greatest teacher. Coming to terms with your own mistakes and limitations and reflecting on what I, or we, may have done differently. This is the personal growth that comes from humility and its reward is in recognizing that you do not have all the answers. This should result in the second step which is….
People: Assertively getting the right people on the bus (thank you Jim Collins) and politely asking the wrong people to exit the bus is essential business practice. It’s not always about the functional expertise; it’s about the culture. The team that embraces the culture and operates with trust and collaboration has the best chance to move with pace, overcome obstacles, and ultimately win.
Product: Your brand and products must solve for a desire or solve for a problem.
Incremental Success: Knocking off the small stuff and winning in the margins. Creating the expectation of the win in everything we do. The momentum created by early wins and the mastery of even the most mundane of objectives gets the flywheel (again thanks to Jim Collins) turning. Once that momentum begins, it is hard to slow it down.
Strategic Planning/Project Management: Knowing exactly what you want to be, where you want to go, and having the resources to build out a sound path to meet your overall objectives ON TIME.
Vision: We can take this beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. THINK BIG and it becomes contagious.
Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?
John: Integrity, honesty, humility, moral clarity, trust, confidence, emotional intelligence.
Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
John: Learn from those around us. Seek out professionals who are experts in fields you may be a novice in. Steel sharpens steel. Ask for feedback and work to address blind spots.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
John: Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you in their respective fields. Listen to them.
Never believe you have all the answers and ask for honest feedback.
Celebrate the sharing of the fruits of your success. Reward the people who make it happen.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
John: Beyond what I shared earlier: Building a collaborative culture to the extent that tremendous mutual respect builds between all functions and all teams within the organization. Using a football analogy, you need offense, defense, and special teams all performing at optimal levels and supporting one another. It’s easy to see Sales and Marketing as offense, Operations and Supply Chain as defense, and Finance and HR as special teams. They must work together with trust, respect, and mutual accountability for the organization to obtain its goals.
Sales and Marketing: Optimize the overall strategy by becoming unshakeable allies in the pursuit of success through the trade and to the consumer.
Brand: The Brand should reflect the spirit of your culture, and your culture should reflect the spirit of your Brand.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
John: Character is how you treat people who can do nothing for you.
