The book by Gwen Dudok van Heel “In 10 stappen Grip op Groei en Grilligheid” was recently discussed on Golfbreker Radio. Denise Hulst gave her review and discussed the book with Roelof Meijer and Erik van Venetië. Below this article, you can listen to the book review (13 minutes).
A Motivating Book
The first question Denise gets from Roelof: “Why this book?” “A lot has been written about it. There are thousands of new entrepreneurs every year and many of them fail. I have experienced the growth and contraction phases of a business myself, so I was curious,” Denise explains. “I read a lot of management books where after 3 pages – Oh god! – . How terrible entrepreneurship is. But this book motivates. If I didn’t have a business, I would start one immediately,” she adds enthusiastically.
A Book with Open Doors. But That Triggers!
“It’s a light and airy written book with nice little examples and quotes. That makes it all sound very simple,” explains Denise, who has guided many people in writing their own book. Just because it sounds simple in the book doesn’t mean it’s a ‘simple book’. Denise emphasizes that all topics related to entrepreneurship, growth, and leadership are addressed head-on.
Roelof asks for an example. Denise: “Know yourself. That’s an open door. Obvious. But that triggers! The better you know yourself and can reflect on what you do daily, the better you develop yourself. As a result, the people around you develop with you and so does your company. and the people around you. It becomes more and more important to be able to do that.”
The Founders Trap
Before, you were a leader if you were very directive. Is it now about showing authenticity? This sparks the discussion, to which Denise explains from the book: “It’s about where your talents lie and how you use them. Where is your drive. Where are you good at. Where do you earn the most?”
“Gwen describes The Founders Trap: You start a company. That goes wrong. Setting up a business is done from a personal, specific experience or your knowledge. When you’re very small you do everything yourself. At some point, you become a sort of jack-of-all-trades. That one part where you’re really good at comes too little. When you start to grow, hire people, you’re so used to continue doing things where you’re less good at. Whereas you actually only need to focus on what you’re really good at.”
Metaphors with Humor
“What I found very funny was the example of the hippos and the cheetahs. Gwen often works in Africa. The hippo stands for highest paid person opinion. They generally behave as a directive, authoritarian leader. The cheetahs are agile, this is also the fastest land animal in the world. These cheetahs represent the new business culture in Africa. A lot of cheetahs are needed to bring about change.”
Roelof further inquires about the part “Volatility” from the title of the book. “This is reflected in several metaphors that Gwen mentions. Like the volatility of the creative mind. Listen to the example of the fox and the hedgehog. The fox is agile, smart. He sees new opportunities everywhere. The fox loves hedgehogs. They taste good and he goes after them. The hedgehog stands for a new opportunity. The hedgehog senses danger. Before the fox gets to him, his spines are up. In the long run, the hedgehog is the winner. Business success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Now hedgehogs are very consistent in their behavior; putting up their spines. Foxes (almost) never score because they don’t change strategy. You want to convert that perspiration into consistency, because that is 99% of actual success.”
Everything in Order
“Finally, you have to weed out weeds in time. Not weeding out weeds on time is a growth inhibitor! You always have people who have been involved from the start. At some point, those people have outgrown. They don’t want anything anymore and don’t go along with changes. Then saying goodbye is sometimes better.”
Roelof: “One final sentence. What does this mean for you?”
Denise: “Everything in order and asking yourself the right questions.”
Interested in this latest book by Gwen Dudok van Heel? Check out “In 10 stappen Grip op Groei en Grilligheid” in the Webshop of Dudok Consulting.
Listen to the book review yourself
Listening time: 13 minutes
