Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)

Verne Harnish · First published October 21st 2014

It’s been over a decade since Verne Harnish’s best-selling book Mastering the Rockefeller Habits was first released. Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t is the first major revision of this business classic. In Scaling Up, Harnish and his team share practical tools and techniques for building an industry-dominating business. These approaches have been honed from over three decades of advising tens of thousands of CEOs and executives and helping them navigate the increasing complexities (and weight) that come with scaling up a venture. This book is written so everyone — from frontline employees to senior executives — can get aligned in contributing to the growth of a firm. There’s no reason to do it alone, yet many top leaders feel like they are the ones dragging the rest of the organization up the S-curve of growth. The goal of this book is to help you turn what feels like an anchor into wind at your back — creating a company where the team is engaged; the customers are doing your marketing; and everyone is making money. To accomplish this, Scaling Up focuses on the four major decision areas every company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. The book includes a series of new one-page tools including the updated One-Page Strategic Plan and the Rockefeller Habits ChecklistTM, which more than 40,000 firms around the globe have used to scale their companies successfully — many to $1 billion and beyond. Running a business is ultimately about freedom. Scaling Up shows business leaders how to get their organizations moving in sync to create something significant and enjoy the ride.

“Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)” is a business book that explores the strategies and approaches that successful companies use to grow and scale their businesses. The author, Verne Harnish, outlines a framework based on the Rockefeller Habits, which he believes are the core principles that drive successful business growth. The book covers topics such as defining the company’s core values, clarifying the company’s purpose and vision, setting clear and measurable goals, and developing an effective communication plan.

1. Define your company’s core values to ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards a common goal.
2. Clarify your company’s purpose and vision to provide a clear direction for your team to follow.
3. Set clear and measurable goals for each area of your business to keep everyone accountable.
4. Create an effective communication plan to keep everyone informed and engaged.
5. Establish a solid organizational structure to ensure that everyone is working together efficiently.
6. Develop a continuous improvement process to identify areas of your business that need improvement and make changes quickly.
7. Invest in your team by providing the resources they need to succeed and grow.
8. Foster a culture of transparency and trust to build strong relationships with your team and customers.
9. Implement systems and processes to automate routine tasks and streamline operations.
10. Measure and track your progress regularly to ensure that you are on track to reach your goals.