When you start a business with no capital, no employees, and no revenue, most people would run the other way. But some leaders see opportunity where others see impossible obstacles.
The key isn’t just having vision. It’s knowing your numbers at a level most entrepreneurs never achieve and being willing to embrace the discomfort that comes with real growth.
Gayle Lantz speaks with Glenn Phillips, CEO of Lake Homes Realty ,who has been recognized seven times on Inc. Magazine’s prestigious Inc. 5000 list. The company has grown to become the nation’s largest real estate brokerage focused on lake property, also operating Beach Homes Realty in 18 states and the newly launched Mountain Homes Realty in 20 states.
Glenn is a self-described computer nerd who doesn’t fit the stereotype. He shares the unconventional journey of taking over a failing business and transforming it into a high-growth success. He reveals the critical research process that involved 60,000 miles of driving and 200 hotel nights to truly understand their market, and explains why being data-driven in an industry that typically isn’t has been a game-changer.
His insights on culture creation (including a brilliant blinded test to identify what his team really values in colleagues) offer practical wisdom for any leader building a high-performance organization.
This episode covers:
- The process of determining the right business model that could survive and thrive
- Why knowing your numbers at the edges, including being crushed by too much success, is crucial
- The power of embracing what you don’t know and learning to say no to board advice
- How to conduct meaningful market research through direct, personal engagement
- A unique blind test method for identifying cultural values within your team
- The “special forces” vs. “casino model” approach to team building and agent recruitment
- Why growth only happens when you’re uncomfortable and how to communicate this to your team
- Strategies for maintaining visibility as a leader across distributed teams
- The importance of taking care of personal health while building a demanding business
Glenn challenges listeners to run toward change rather than away from it, emphasizing that real opportunity lies in the discomfort zone where most people refuse to go.
LINKS:
Previous CEO on the Go Episodes:
Closing the Communication Gaps: Every Leader’s Responsibility #270
Why Your Goal-Setting Fails: Escaping the Performance Trap with Radhika Dutt #269