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Kmart, Sears, Blockbuster, Kodak. At their peak, these companies dominated. They were household names.
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But what happened?
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Well, around our place, we say break it before it's broken. Just because we've always done it one way or had one product line doesn't mean it's the only thing we can do. We're agnostic on how we do it or what we use to get to and serve the customer. What we're not agnostic about are our values. Values. We're not agnostic about being really passionate about making sure in the current world that we deliver the best to the customer. Those companies violated that. They got comfortable. And the same can happen to you and me. On this episode, Entree Leadership's John Felkins breaks down the peak performer stage. What warning signs to watch out for, how to establish culture, and what you can do to keep your business from becoming the next blockbuster. Let's get into it.
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So how do you know if the business is in the peak performer stage? Because things are going well. You're serving a lot of customers, you're making a lot of money, and the business is running smooth. But behind the scenes, there's some risks. Your leadership team might have gotten a little too comfortable. You might have taken your foot off the gas. The urgency and scrappiness that got you here is slowly being replaced by by entitlement and apathy. This is when innovation stalls and relevance starts to fade and you start putting things on autopilot. As a leader, you may even be wondering what your role is and if your team even needs you anymore. This can cause you to loosen your grip on company culture, accountability, and your mission. It's easy to keep going as if everything's great, but if you don't address these underlying issues, that can be the beginning of the decay of your business for from within. So what do you do? How do you not just survive but thrive at this stage of business? We're going to walk through the four steps on how to do just that. Step number one, reconnect to your mission. We've talked before about how your mission is the heartbeat of your business. It tells your team and the marketplace why you exist. Without a clear mission, people just lose focus. I remember a conversation with a client one time when I asked him, what's the mission? What's the purpose for your business? And he said, well, we're in the hair care, tire repair, airport services business. And I was like, what? That makes no sense. That's so spread out. And he said, yeah, I know. We're all over the place and it's a mess. So don't be like that. Take the time to get super clear on your company's mission so everyone knows what you're trying to accomplish. Step number two, Take the time to reflect and respond. Leaders in the peak performer stage need to get brutally honest with themselves. You gotta ask yourself, what got us here? What are we neglecting now? Where are we drifting? The answers to these questions may sting if you're actually honest with yourself, but they'll be your roadmap back to growth. Step number three, you've got to continue to inspire your team. Energy and inspiration always flow from the top. And if you stop reinforcing the culture, the culture will change. Things only get worse on their own. As a leader, your role is to be the chief repeating officer. I know you might hate that, but it's just true. When things are going great, your number one job is to remind your team why you exist and how you're going to win. Repeat your mission and vision and values over and over and over again. When you start feeling like a broken record, when you really get sick of hearing yourself, you're just starting to say it enough. We'll get right back to that episode. But first, for a lot of entrepreneurs, health care is one of the most unpredictable line items in the budget. That's why I want you to look at Christian Healthcare Ministries. CHM is not health insurance. It's a budget friendly, faith based alternative to insurance. Instead of premiums that keep climbing and coverage that keeps shrinking, CHM gives you a more predictable monthly cost. With programs Starting at just $115 a month, lower monthly costs can free up capital to build your margin, grow your team and reinvest in your business. And as a faith based organization, CHM aligns with Christian business owners who want their health care dollars handled in a way that reflects their values. That's stewardship, not just savings. CHM even offers a groups program for small businesses that want to provide a health care sharing option to their teams. And right now, CHM is offering new members a 50% credit towards their first month of membership. So go to chministries.orgbudget and use the promo code Entree. That's chministries.orgbudget and Use the promo code Entree. Now let's get back to our episode. Now step number four, Break it before it's broken. You got to disrupt the marketplace and you got to disrupt yourself. Great companies don't stay great by sitting still. They reinvent, they reimagine, they disrupt themselves they do this rather than waiting for the market to do it for them. It's tempting to just sit back and let things happen. Things are going good, but you can't coast. You have to keep building. You have to keep innovating, stretching and growing if you want success to continue. So let me recap Reconnect to your company's mission. Reflect and respond to where you are now. Inspire your team by repeating what's most important and continue to disrupt yourself and the marketplace. If you do these four things, growth and progress will become second nature. Everybody will be aligned in the same direction, and you'll be focused on the right things while you are imposing your will on the marketplace. So if you're in the peak performer stage, well, congratulations. That's a great place to be. You really have built something solid. And if you want to stay sharp and keep growing, then I want you to sign up for a 30 minute conversation with our team to help you get clear on your vision, discover what's holding you back, and decide on what your next step needs to be. Just click the link in the show notes and if you realize you may not be in the peak performer stage, that's okay. But check out the video that we did previously on the Trailblazer Stage and we'll link to that below.
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Also, when your business is in the comfort zone, you're actually in the danger zone. At the peak performer stage, it's easy to deny that there's a problem, especially when the revenue looks good, the team's humming along, and nothing seems broken. But that's like ignoring a weird sound coming from your car. It might not stop you today, but if you don't deal with it, it'll cost you later. Remember, in business, the real danger isn't failure, it's thinking. You can't fail. So don't get too comfy, folks. The comfort zone is a great place for a nap, but it's a terrible place to lead from. Stay intentional. Keep growing. That's how you lead your business and your people. Well, if you've enjoyed today's episode, be sure to like, share and subscribe for more great leadership content. I'm your host, Dave Ramsey, and this is Entree Leadership.