John Creighton Articles
The Middle Management Black Hole When your managers become the people who bring you problems I was talking to a founder recently, who looked completely exhausted. She wasn't tired, it was the feeling of 'I'm done, I can't do this [...]
The Gravity Principle: why your business feels heavier than it used to I've spent more than 30 years building businesses, buying businesses, selling businesses and sitting across the table from founders who all eventually ask me the same question, in [...]
The question nobody asks successful people Yesterday I asked a CEO a question I don’t often ask: "Who's your CEO?" He laughed, then he looked at me for a few seconds and said, "I don't have one." The conversation could [...]
Growth doesn't need more effort, it needs a different you. Let's start with a very uncomfortable question, one that I ask almost every founder at the start of our coaching journey. "If you went on holiday (completely off-grid) for 3 [...]
The Profit Leak Model Over the years I've noticed that profit almost never disappears because of one dramatic event, it disappears very slowly & quietly. A little at a time, one decision, one habit, one compromise, then another one. Then, [...]
You're probably measuring the wrong thing If you're like every business owner, you probably know roughly what your house is worth. You probably check the property listings in your area every few months and you know if the market is [...]
Every business owner has experienced it. You employ someone who quickly becomes one of your best people. They take ownership, they solve problems, they work hard. You trust them and you start relying on them because they consistently deliver. Then, [...]
If I had a rand for every business owner who told me their revenue has doubled yet they don't feel any better off, I would probably have bought an island next to Sir Richard Branson (ok, not quite...but you know [...]
For most of my career, I believed what most entrepreneurs are taught to believe - that the goal of business is growth. More customers, more staff, more revenue, more locations. More everything! I chased it and for a long time [...]
I met with a CEO last week who was vibrating with nervous energy. He’s pulling 70-hour weeks, he’s the first one in, the last one out and he wears his "hustle" like a badge of honour. However, here’s the reality [...]
Have you ever found yourself wide awake at 3am, staring at the ceiling, or maybe your own reflection in the bathroom mirror and the weight of the world feels like it’s sitting heavily on your chest? You built this business [...]
Your business doesn’t need a cash injection, it needs a 'capability' upgrade. I sat with a founder last week who has a superb business. Healthy revenue and a really solid product, but the moment he walked into our meeting, I [...]