Cope - Seeing the big picture: business acumen to build your credibility, career, and company

Published by Greenleaf Book Group Press
Austin, Texas
www.gbgpress.com

Copyright 2012 Kevin Cope

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the copyright holder.

Distributed by Greenleaf Book Group LLC

For ordering information or special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Greenleaf Book Group LLC at PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709, 512.891.6100.

Design and composition by Greenleaf Book Group LLC
Cover design by Greenleaf Book Group LLC

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-60832-247-3

Dedicated to my wife, Karen, and our children,
who are truly the greatest joy of my life.

I strongly believe that the first job of any leader is to inspire trust. Whether that leader is a surgeon leading a team through an intricate medical procedure, an executive leading a team in implementing a strategy, or a quarterback leading a football team to a comeback victoryits trust in the leader that inspires others to willingly choose to follow.

So what inspires trust? Trust is the confidence that emerges when character and competence converge. If I were questioning whether or not I needed surgery, I wouldnt trust a dishonest and self-serving surgeonno matter how competent he or she might be. Nor would I trust a quarterback whos unable to make plays or deliver resultseven if he has impeccable character. But when I see the consistent demonstration of both character and competence, I do trust. And Kevin Cope, the author of this exceptional book, is a person who consistently demonstrates bothand is a person I trust immensely.

Kevin is a long-time friend and confidant. As such, he listens empathically and offers sound advice when I ask for it. He is also a business colleague who worked with me for several years in a time of unprecedented business growth, opportunity, and challenge. In that role, I have seen him time and again roll up his sleeves and find a way to get the job done superbly well. While I wouldnt trust Kevin to quarterback a fourth quarter comeback (believe me, Ive played flag football with him!), and I definitely wouldnt trust him to perform surgery on me (hes not a doctor), I absolutely do trust Kevins ideas on business, organizations, and people. Hes earned that trust through a demonstrated track record of character and competenceparticularly in the area of business acumen.

In fact, it is because of my trust in Kevin in these areas that I strongly encouraged him to write this book. His five drivers model and his ideas concerning business are simply too goodtoo valuable, too insightful, too clearto not share. Kevin has the gift of being able to take complex issues and make them simple. Never is this gift more needed than in the world of business acumen, particularly regarding how business works and how organizations make money and successfully grow. And when it comes to understanding how business acumen can transform an individualand, in turn, an organizationthere is no one I trust more than Kevin Cope.

But enough said about my friend Kevin; now lets talk about you. Youre picking up this book because you likely work for a business or for some type of organization that needs to operate on sound business principles. Now just because a person works for a business doesnt mean he or she fully understands business. You and I both know plenty of bright business graduates who cant quite seem to apply that knowledge in relevant ways that create value for the business. Weve all run across colleagues and peers who have years of experience and know everything there is to know about their particular functionHR, operations, marketing, sales, R & D, or some other rolebut who would rather have a root canal than to have to give an opinion or interpretation of the companys latest financial results.

Were also aware of those who think they know business when all they really know is the jargon of businessoften number crunchers who, as Oscar Wilde put it, know the price of everything but the value of nothing. We likewise see countless passionate entrepreneurs who are certain they understand business, but start companies that fail to gain any traction and end up not even getting off the ground.

In short, just because a person is in business doesnt mean that person gets business. Thats where this book comes in. Its the best book I know to explain how business really works and how organizations make money. Its actionable. Its simple without being simplistic. And its written in an engaging and insightful style.

So if youre that business grad or entrepreneur who cant put your finger on why success seems to elude you or that functional expert with years of experience whos tired of being overlooked when your company presents new career opportunities or that numbers person whos wrestling with how you can become relevant to those who dont look at the numbers in the same way you do orlike mean executive whos looking for a quick reference field guide to help you focus your team on the simple fundamentals of business success this book is for you.

Whatever your situationand whether youre just getting started in business, trying to get reenergized about your business, or actually running a businessI strongly encourage you to read Seeing the Big Picture and carefully consider what Kevin has to say. I am convinced that doing so will help you become a more competent businessperson. And if you combine that competence with strong character, youll inspire your peers, your team, your boss or your CEO, to trust your decisions. Theyll come to see you not only as a leader of people, but also as a leader of the business. And thats what good business acumen is all about.

Stephen M. R. Covey, author of
New York Times bestseller The Speed of Trust

The only real security that a person will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.
Henry Ford

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
Albert Einstein

H ave you ever found yourself in one of these situations? Youre talking with a senior leader of your company and wish you could say something really insightful to show your knowledge of the business, but your brain goes numb and you cant come up with anything meaningful.

Youre attending a meeting with managers or financial types and as they start reviewing financial statements, you get lost. You hope no one discovers that the smile on your face or the nod of your head hides the gap in your knowledge. You cant see what the numbers have to do with what you have to get done today or this week.

Your CEO wants everyone to work harder to meet the companys overall financial objectives. Your manager asks for ideas from the team, but youre struggling to see how improving your job performance will impact the companys revenue or stock price.

Youve got a great idea for a weekend business that you and a friend or your spouse could start up to bring in some extra money, but you dont know how much money you would need to get started or how to handle financial matters once you do. You just dont want to be like all those other start-ups that flop.

If youve experienced moments like these, you certainly are not alone. In fact, youre a member of a fairly large groupbusinesspeople who struggle to understand how the moving parts of a company work together to make it successful