Description: From 50 to 500: Mastering the Unique Leadership Challenges of Growing Small Companies is an engaging and innovative small business leadership framework guaranteed to strengthen a leader�s effectiveness to drive company growth and results.

Verdict: In From 50 to 500, the authors identify key characteristics of small companies with the potential for rapid growth. Using this perspective, they present a highly relevant, easy-to-understand and actionable model, defining the motivators, capabilities and potential derailers unique to small business leaders.

Readers are then invited to explore the distinct business challenges two typical leaders face over a business cycle. Opportunities to evaluate each leader�s decisions and outcomes provide valuable insights into their effectiveness and impact, and tools are provided to strengthen leadership effectiveness and achieve improved organizational results.

So, what are the main characteristics of fast growing companies? Well, I�m glad you asked, for the five main characteristics of high-growth, currently within some of the top-tier, industry-leading firms today are:

Customer-focused. Voted to the top of the list of important considerations for progressive businesses was customer satisfaction
Employee engagement
Loyalty
Efficiency
Entrepreneurial

Agreed that all those traits should apply to any and all companies, whether small, medium or large, but come the final key stroke of the day, can every company say that they check all those boxes?

As a small company grows, it faces distinct challenges. A new form of leadership is critical for success and so this quite brilliant new book explains, perhaps even speaks directly to those leaders, explaining the most important moves that need to be made.

Companies that aren�t afraid to take calculated risks typically grow quite rapidly. The key is calculated risk. These company owners weigh their options, decide on a course of action and implement it, even though there may be risk involved.

While this doesn�t always pay off, it can have far-reaching rewards. Failing to properly calculate risk is a characteristic of companies that fail. They jump in too fast without paying attention to the potential consequences.

Companies that plan for the future are often around long enough to enjoy it. Pay attention to your marketplace and changing world views and opinions. Plan ahead for potential changes that could impact your market.

For example, plumbing businesses may have been riding high on the new housing boom, but when the bottom dropped out of the market, many were left with too many employees and were too invested in new housing. Make exit strategies to implement should something untoward happen that could impact your own industry.

Paying attention to the economy and the world around you is another key in building a business that can experience and sustain rapid growth. If you are too insulated and focus only on your own current market and your own current product line, your company runs the risk of being stagnant. Seek out new markets, develop new product lines that will appeal both to your current market and the new markets you need to reach.

A must-read for leaders of growth businesses, From 50 to 500: Mastering the Unique Leadership Challenges of Growing Small Companies by Jonathan Dapra and company, is a veritable must-read on this subject matter and one that I wholly, and heartily recommend anyone even the slightest bit interested, to read and take on board.

About the Authors - Jonathan and his co-authors bring over 100 years of combined experience and leadership in the executive assessment & development field. He lives in Manchester, NH.

Official Book Purchase Link