No, I’m not “bringing booty back.” The base (not bass) I’m referring to is the base of your company—your core people, that is. The base is the foundation that supports the rest of the organization. If the base is weak, the entire structure is unstable and prone to fracture or even collapse. However, if the base is solid, the entire structure is able to withstand storms as well as additional growth. Far too many organizations attempt to grow without first shoring up their base. This is a huge mistake with potentially devastating implications.
The base of an organization is comprised of its key leaders—the leadership team. This team is typically made up of the president and his or her senior managers. In a well-structured organization, the leadership team is a small group of three to seven exceptionally talented and capable individuals. One weak person on the leadership team is like a gaping hole in a rowboat. You can keep rowing furiously only to get nowhere while exhausting all of your energy—and eventually sink. Or you can fix the hole.
A strong base takes ownership of all areas: marketing, business development, account management, customer service, service delivery, human resources, accounting, administration, finance, strategy, legal, risk management, governorship, etc. This doesn’t mean that every area is perfect, but with an exceptionally talented and capable individual in charge, improvements are constantly being implemented in each area.
Take a look at your base. Do you see any weak spots? If so, what’s the plan? It’s always better to shore up the base as soon as a weak spot is noticed, before the problem becomes catastrophic.
Now go forth.
