This Valentine’s week, as you examine significant relationships in your life, take a close look at your company’s management team. Are the views of those operating your business still in line with your company vision and mission?

“As a company grows, a shift can occur as the owner transitions from exercising a lot of control and begins to delegate to management,” says business consultant Beatrice Chestnut of The Chestnut Group and author of The 9 Types of Leadership. “If managers have different personality styles and world views than the founder, a misalignment can occur between the original vision and the management team’s priorities.”

Organizations evolve, and that process is a natural part of growth, adds Brad Deutser, president of Deutser, LLC, a consulting firm that advises leaders and organizations during times of transition, growth and crisis.

“The highest-performing organizations are those that grow from the inside out. When organizations are anchored by a strong culture, they are more effective at scaling and driving performance of their people and business.”

To read the complete article, please visit American Express Open Forum

 

 

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey Barefoot Wine Founders

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.