Each day of the pre-summit is filled with more information, more speakers and more thought-provoking discussions.

While some topics are focused very specifically at women, most of the presentations have nuggets of information that are gender- and experience-neutral.  There is wisdom available for anyone willing to delve deeper!

I have so many notes to share, so forgive me for para-phrasing.  And if a particular session resonates, please contact me if you are looking for more information.  The starred sessions are reminders to me to sign up for those to learn more (and no reflection on the quality or material in the other sessions!)

Some feedback from some of my readers:

• You cannot dial into the session on the day.  YOU HAVE TO PRE-REGISTER on the website for the pre-summit sessions.  You will then be emailed a personalized webinar invitation.  You can always choose not to attend, but now you have your options open.
• The same will be true for the full summit, so heads up.
• The Early Bird pricing is in effect until Thursday Oct 15.  I would take advantage!  Your ticket entitles you to the recordings of all the pre-summit sessions and a number of host give-aways.

The Agile Scale-Up: How to remain nimble as you scale the business 

Verne Harnish, Spain

If there were 2 words that attracted me to this presentation, it was AGILE and NIMBLE.  I felt it would offer advice for every part of my life, and I was not disappointed.  Verne’s presentation was full of references and quotes and a great way to start the day!

He concentrated on 3 main areas if you are intent on scaling your business:

• People:
  1. First, follow the advice heeded by Steve Jobs and Bill Gates from Regis McKenna and spend one hour a week creating a list of the top 25 relationships or influencers that will propel your company forward.
  2. Then follow Keith Ferrazzi’s advice and “Never Eat Alone”   Turn your contacts into relationships.
• Strategy
  1. Can you state it simply?  Figure out your brand.  Name it and OWN IT.  ‘4 hour work week’ immediately pops up as Tim Ferriss, Google owns ‘search’
  2. Use the 7 strategy work sheet that Verne & his team will share during the full summit session Oct 27, 1pm
• Execution
  1. Figure out your constraints.  Read “The Goal’ by Eli Goldratt (a physicist turned business management guru!).  What is limiting you?  Focus on that constraint and figure it out in order to lock-in your market and your advantage.  Elon Musk has not developed the electric car because he is focused on transportation.  Instead, his focus is on locking the energy providing (battery) side of the equation.
  2. Stay persistent

Verne alluded to other parts of the longer presentation:

Passion – Purpose – Persistence    /  Do what you say you are going to do / There is no drama in dealing with you

Takeaways, Notes & Quotes:

• Figure out your constraints (personal and professional)
• Can you state it simply?
• Persistence
• “Overnight success”
• Routines set you free – Zuckerberg’s regular Friday Q&A with employees and customers
• List of must read books in Verne’s book “Scaling up”
• www.gazelles.com

I will be looking forward to the hour-long presentation on October 27 1pm with another Gazelle International coach, Lisa Ridley.

Boundaries + Authority = Efficiency:  How delegation increases your Leadership Power

Heather Mason, USA

This presentation should have been titled ‘Move over diamonds!  Delegation is a girl’s best friend!’

Heather drew a perfect visual for me about the benefit of not doing it all yourself.  We would never expect a General to be doing all the tasks necessary to win a war – from peeling potatoes to flying helicopters.  Yet is only with the support of every necessary cog in the wheel that the engine of something as immense as a peace mission or war effort gathers traction and results.

Great analogy.  Power is NOT a bad word!  You do not ‘lose’ power by sharing and delegating, but you gain it in negotiation and influence.

Takeaways, Notes & Quotes:

Her full session promises oh so much more detail in the areas of Clear and Grey boundaries / delegation from a position of power

Some of her strategies – approach each project as if you were a construction GC (general contractor)

1. List the jobs
2. List the hours needed to get it done
3. Assign it to a (job) function and see how much time it will take to get done

You quickly discover that to be effective, you cannot fill all roles.

• Know which jobs are yours and yours alone.
• Prep-time is valuable time, so don’t spend time prepping for jobs that you should not be doing
• Re-distribute tasks – and start with the job requirement, not the number of available warm bodies.  If you need to work on your accounting, hire it out to an accountant or book-keeper
• Don’t have grey areas – each job should have only one person responsible, and one escalation point
• Worst phrase should be “I can do it all”

Entrepreneurs:  Stop Compromising and Make All the Money You Want!

Pat Mussieux, Canada

Pat offered such a full and informative session.  If this resonates with you, I recommend going to her website www.PatMussieux.com.  Here are some of my scribbles …

Following on with the same theme of diamonds, Focus on the 4 ‘C’s:

• CONFIDENCE
• CLARITY – use the 5 Ws –
  1. Why are you doing this?
  2. What are you about?
  3. Who are you serving? / can you help most?
  4. When are you going to be of service?
  5. Where are you going to do this (online, global etc)
• CLIENTS – Learn the full profile of your ideal client – where do they shop, who are they, what is their pain?
• CASH FLOW – Make sure you charge what you are worth.

Takeaways, Notes & Quotes:

• Self Talk – Self Image – Self!
• “If its to be, it’s up to me!” – take personal responsibility

Positive Leadership in the REAL world 

Cameron Morrissey, USA

This presentation was filled with ‘now’, practical and actionable suggestions.

As a frontline manager, you need to know that your attitude ripples through to your team.  Lead by example.  Be intentional.

LEAD YOURSELF – we are often so focused on outward facing results.

Exs.  Figure out what makes you negative or puts you in a bad mood.  Is it Stress, Interruptions, lack of sleep, an individual, loud music?

These things de-moralize you and throw you off your game.  And in today’s world the negative happens more often than not.  Have a game plan ready to counter this.

• Find a quick simple (tactical?) action that you know you will enjoy to clear your mind – a one minute walk to a the water-cooler, or packing a box
• JUST TAKE ACTION – there is always a solution .. just keep trying (anything!)  (the answer is out there)
• Do the difficult and uncomfortable stuff first
• Overload yourself with ACTION

Takeaways, Notes & Quotes:

Telling the Story of Change – a powerful way to enroll supporters, implement fast & save resources 

Lisa Bloom, Israel

In a world full of dry information, how do you engage an audience and help them remember the key elements of the material?  You tell a story or a parable.

Lisa has found that this is most relevant in the areas of change – where there is a lot of resistance, complexity and drama involved.

Story telling moves an individual from a place of complexity to simplicity; from resistance to engagement.  When we can clarify the aim, we are able to articulate it (and teach it forward).

Story telling as an art is age-old.  It has been how generations passed along wisdom.  Most of us relate story-telling to comfort and trust.  It is therefore a powerful tool in creating authenticity and engagement.

Takeaways, Notes & Quotes:

• When you speak from a place of story, you show up authentically, you engage honestly and make good connections
• Resistance makes for a good story.  What would Romeo & Juliet be if the Capulets had liked the Montagues on page one? 😉

What the Executive Woman Can Do as a Role Model and Mentor for the Next Generation 

Gayle Carson, USA

I was not able to attend this session.  If anyone can offer a summary, I can post it here!

‘}…{‘

Over to you:

} .. Which topic resonated the most with you?

} .. What happens to you when you hear the word POWER?

} .. What was your one take away from this post?

INSPIRATION AND RESEARCH MATERIAL FOR THIS BLOG:

• Got to www.gwals.com for the rest of the  pre-summit and full summit programs, and for the full presenter bios
• Register for the program here
• Link to GWALS facebook page