Synopses & Reviews
People Are Talking About Leading for Growth"Ray Davis addresses many of the key issues we face in continuing to drive growth at Nike—staying connected with the consumer, leading change, building the brand, and cultivating a strong corporate culture. He offers clear solutions and creative leadership approaches for all business leaders, regardless of industry."
—Charlie Denson, president, Nike Brand
"Ray Davis is a leader for the 21st century. He understands that winning companies compete on ideas—ideas that shape the future of their industry and reshape the sense of what's possible among customers, employees, and investors."
—Polly LaBarre, coauthor, Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win
"Thanks to Ray Davis's leadership, Umpqua Bank is the premier experience-stager in the banking industry. The principles that he brought to bear to lead what once was a small, sleepy company into a dynamic, growing organization are yours for the taking in Leading for Growth. Read it, apply them, grow, repeat."
—B. Joseph Pine II, coauthor, The Experience Economy, and cofounder, Strategic Horizons LLP
"Growing a business demands basic disciplines that are often ignored. Leading for Growth provides a compelling look at what's required for companies to break out of the pack."
—James Champy, coauthor, Reengineering the Corporation, and chairman of consulting for Perot Systems
"Leading for Growth presents an inspiring and powerful set of lessons about growing a company from a leader who has 'been there and done that.' The book is relevant to anyone in a leadership position faced with the need to change a culture and/or grow successfully—essentially, all of us."
—Eric Flamholtz, president, Management Systems Consulting Corporation, and professor of management, Anderson School, UCLA
Review
Ray Davis addresses many of the key issues we face in continuing to drive growth at Nike—staying connected with the consumer, leading change, building the brand, and cultivating a strong corporate culture. He offers clear solutions and creative leadership approaches for all business leaders, regardless of industry."
—Charlie Denson, president, Nike Brand
"Leading for Growth presents an inspiring and powerful set of lessons about growing a company from a leader who has 'been there and done that.' The book is relevant to anyone in a leadership position faced with the need to change a culture and/or grow successfully—essentially, all of us."
—Eric Flamholtz, president, Management Systems Consulting Corporation, and professor of management, Anderson School, UCLA
Synopsis
How any business leader can create an atmosphere of competitiveness for exceptional growth
When Ray Davis took over the local 40-person South Umpqua Bank in 1994, many people in the industry poked fun at his insistence that employees answer the phone with a cheery "World's Greatest Bank." Eleven years, $7 billion in assets, and 128 branches (or " bank stores" in Umpqua lingo) later, the moniker seems quite apt. Other banks scratched their heads when Davis sent his tellers to Ritz-Carlton to learn customer service and were intrigued when he hired a cutting-edge design firm to completely re-think retail layout. Now, with a top design award under their belt, a name change (there never was a North Umpqua bank), and a completely new definition of the banking business, Umpqua has become the darling of the entrepreneurial press and a growth powerhouse. The New York Times calls Umpqua "Starbucks with tellers."
Ray Davis (Portland, OR), named by U.S. Banker as one of the 25 most influential people in the financial industry in 2005, is President and CEO of Umpqua Holdings Corporation. Alan Shrader (Moraga, CA) is an experienced writer and editor of business books.
Synopsis
When Ray Davis took over the regional South Umpqua Bank (and its five branches) in 1994, many poked fun at his insistence that employees answer the phone with a cheery "World's Greatest Bank." Eleven years, $7 billion in assets, and more than 120 bank stores later, many now accept that statement without question. Other banks scoffed when Davis sent his tellers to the Ritz-Carlton to learn customer service. But with two top design awards, a name change, and a completely new definition of the banking business, Umpqua has become a growth powerhouse, increasing 30 times in size.
Leading for Growth tells how any business can use the same leadership discipline and creative thinking that made Umpqua Bank get bigger, better, more agile, and more customer focused, and turned it into a relentless competitor. This important book shows how to truly leadas opposed to manage, plan, or strategizethrough extreme growth. Ray Davis's insights will help you
- Discover what business you are really in and create your competitive advantage
- Build an organization with committed employees
- Connect marketing strategy and execution on the ground
- Create learning opportunities for all managers and staff
- Fight the syndrome that often pulls people back into old routines
- Rise above the day-to-day conflicts to achieve a strategic perspective on your company and where it is going
- Manage mergers and acquisitions in ways that support rather than dilute your culture
Leading for Growth is written for any leader who wants to create a competitive atmosphere for exceptional growth.
About the Author
Ray Davis—Ernst & Young's 2004 Regional Retail Entrepreneur of the Year—is a pioneer of change in the banking industry, revolutionizing how banks look, feel, sound, and operate. He is the president and CEO of Umpqua Holding Corporation and has been featured in the
Wall Street Journal, the
New York Times,
Fast Company,
BusinessWeek, Business 2.0,
Newsweek, and CNBC. Umpqua was named to
Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list in 2007. Ray lives with his wife, Bobbi, in Portland, Oregon.
Alan Shrader is managing editor of Leader to Leader and an experienced writer and editor of business books.
Table of Contents
Introduction: There Is No Door Number Three.
PART ONE: PREREQUISITES FOR RELENTLESS GROWTH.
1. What Business Are You Really In?
2. Never-Ending Discipline.
3. Have Positive Passion.
4. Snap the Rubber Band Syndrome.
5. What’s Going On Behind Your Back?
PART TWO: ROLES OF A LEADER.
6. Support Your People—and Hold ’Em Accountable.
7. Give Them the Power.
8. Rise Above the Battlefield.
9. Explain Your Movie.
10. Be Real.
PART THREE: MASTER THE BASICS.
11. Sweat the Small Stuff.
12. Who Do You Want on Your Bus?
13. Keep Your Board Strong—and Informed.
14. Intangibles Matter Most.
PART FOUR: MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING.
15. Find the Revolution Before It Finds You.
16. Your Brand Is You.
17. Serve the Customer.
18. Put Design into Everything You Do.
PART FIVE: LEADING YOUR CULTURE.
19. Be There.
20. Keep Your Balance.
21. Remember Who You Are.
22. Mergers and Acquisitions Done Right.
Conclusion: Making Relentless Progress.
Acknowledgments.
The Authors.
Index.