The Customer Confidential Podcast

Why Front-Line Obsession Is Critical to Growth

Great leaders maintain a short distance between leadership and the front line, says Bain's Chris Zook, coauthor of The Founder's Mentality.

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Why Front-Line Obsession Is Critical to Growth
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Steve Jobs. Charles Schwab. Howard Schultz. They all spotted an unmet customer need and made it their mission to meet it. They also founded iconic companies that started out as disruptors only to struggle as bureaucracy and distraction set in. In each case, it took the founder’s return to get the company back on track.

It’s a story that will be played out again and again in business. But it doesn’t have to.

According to Bain Partner Chris Zook, these companies have battled the predictable crises of growth. In The Founder’s Mentality, a new book Chris cowrote with Bain’s James Allen, Chris talks about how companies can hold on to the spirit of their founders as they grow. No surprise: It requires companies to focus on their customers.

Chris recently joined me on the podcast. You can listen to our conversation on iTunesStitcher or through the player above.

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