In this book, The Fourth Decision, we seek to become maximized, expanding the time horizon for our entrepreneurial dreams to an entire lifetime, realizing that a high percentage of entrepreneurs simply never retire—they just work differently as they age. Having done the work and reaped significant rewards as successful entrepreneurs over the past decade or so, we now turn to What’s Next (?!) for our companies and our own lives.
Maximized entrepreneurs (ME) are those who make a conscious choice to commit proactively to a lifetime career as an ME, determined to top out as the successful and fulfilled architects of their own entrepreneurial lives by strategically aligning every axis of their lives for maximal impact.
The ME fully embraces their drive toward full potential, both for themselves and their organization(s) through a commitment to entrepreneurial and organizational leadership development. Utilizing collaborative and proven decision-making tools I have developed over the past decade, we will move forward together in The Fourth Decision with a new or enhanced application of discipline in both your personal and professional lives ... remembering always that ... you get one entrepreneurial life to live.
Table of Contents:
FOREWORD
Our Coaching Partnership—Growth from $10 Million to $500+ Million in the Past Seven Years
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
What Is the Fourth Decision? What Does It Mean to Be Maximized?
SECTION ONE: LIFE
A Wayfinder for the Maximized Life of an Entrepreneur: Where Have You Been? What’s Next?!
The ME Equation and the Self-Awareness Decision Tool
The Entrepreneur’s Life Stages, Part I
The Entrepreneur’s Life Stages, Part II
The ME Exit and Transition Phase
SECTION TWO: LEADERSHIP
A Wayfinder for the Maximizer: Where Have We Been? What’s Next?!
Qual-E-Gaged and the Qual Card Development Tool
The Audit-Ready Question and Decision Tool: The Growth and Busy Pyramids
Three+ Business Growth Models
The Revenue Lever Strategy Tool
Three+ Business and Personal Decision-Making Models
Customer Awareness—Crossing the Customer Diamond Bridge
Reset—Four Questions and the ME Bridge
The Fourth Decision and the Clarity Leadership Decision System
APPENDIX A
The Maximized Entrepreneurial Qual Card—What’s Next?!
APPENDIX B
About the Decision Center
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
About the Author :
Author RANDY H. NELSON comes to this third book in his best-selling four-volume The Decision Series for Entrepreneurs® bringing a long history of leadership in education, the US military and entrepreneurial business. Randy has been an award-winning member of global CEO Peer Groups, Vistage and Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), for 40+ years combined. For the past decade, he has been the CEO of Gold Dolphins, a global executive coaching, advising and leadership development firm serving entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and leaders who seek excellence at the helm of their growth-oriented organizations as well as in their personal lives. Randy has co-founded, built, and sold businesses that are built to last, that collectively have been in business for over 70 years, and have produced well over $1 billion in sales and remain atop their industries today. Randy and his wife Kristi have six grown children and seven grandchildren. For more information on Randy’s background and his service offerings, visit www.randyhnelson.com.
Review :
As a fellow military veteran and one of the most successful entrepreneurs I have had the privilege to work for, and collaborate with, over the last 16 years, Randy takes leadership and business growth to the next level in The Fourth Decision. Your personal and entrepreneurial life often follows a pattern that Randy has identified through his research and work with thousands of high-growth companies. Having the self-awareness to understand these patterns and leverage the tools Randy provides will help you ensure you reach your full potential and live the rest of your life without regrets.
--Dean Bundshu
Founder - Bunker Labs - --Raleigh-Durham, Serial Entrepreneur
I have admired all the books in The Decision Series(TM) for their practical application and for directly helping us to successfully build our business and our leadership skills over the past four-plus years. However, I have special appreciation for this book. We have fully adopted the Three+ Business Model Tool, choosing to build Farragut with the Full Potential Growth Model, as well as the Revenue Lever Strategy tool, Qual Cards, and many other tools. The tools have created more clarity for the entire organization--not just the CEO. Using the standard processes and tools created by Randy, we now have more people/leaders get and stay involved in strategy creation and, using these tools, we have seen them significantly increase their ownership of its execution. Not only do Randy's tools work, but they guide you toward your full potential if you are willing to do the hard work to get there!
--Shail Jain
CEO, Farragut
In The Fourth Decision, Randy Nelson provides an invaluable framework for the Entrepreneur's Life Stages. In addition, the concepts of " What's next ?!" and " Your future core purpose" definitely resonated with me ... all of the entrepreneurs I have known would have benefited from this information early on. This book gives every entrepreneurial leader a roadmap, no matter what stage of life they currently occupy.
--Sam Reese
CEO, Vistage Worldwide, Inc. There are loads of business books out there -- Randy's are business doctrines with practical, informative, compelling, and actionable guidelines on how to maximize literally any organization. Randy has the unique ability to help you slow down, look in the mirror, and make more informed decisions, much faster and with discipline and incredible confidence. Simple concepts and clearly outlined; no doubt this book will stand the test of time. I'd encourage any leader who is looking to scale their organization to read it -- and share it.
--Ann Jacoby
CEO, Six Sails Market Research h/BCC Research, LLC/Futuresource Consulting, Ltd.
As with his other books, Randy's The Fourth Decision lays out a blueprint for the serial entrepreneur to follow as we continue our journey. Randy has an uncanny way of looking at the bigger picture and dividing that picture into obtainable steps. I have followed Randy's methodology for over fifteen years and look up to him as a strong business partner, mentor, and very good friend. Whether you are just starting out or making that exit decision, The Fourth Decision asks you all the right questions.
--Darrell McDaniel
CEO, NSTAR Global Services
Randy had me at "The Entrepreneur's Life Stages." His winsome narrative and innovations of how to live well in both business and family came at the perfect time and is a must read for the entrepreneur or anyone who needs a strategy to do the same. Read this book and learn from one of the clearest voices in leadership and strategic planning. The Fourth Decision was a game changer and will forever remain on my go-to resource shelf.
--Wendy K. Clark
President, EO Raleigh Durham Chapter, Serial Entrepreneur, Community Developer, and Nonprofit Strategist
Every time I crack open a Randy H. Nelson book, I know I'm in for a masterclass in setting up our fast-growing global business for further success. In reality, this isn't a book, it's a toolbox and Randy has given you the tools to build up your strategy to maximize the impact of your company in the marketplace. In addition, The Fourth Decision forces you to evaluate your own as well as your organization's leadership skills, and provides you with the practical tools needed to identify and complement your strengths and weaknesses. It's up to you to make the choice to incorporate the right systems and start making better-calculated decisions, but Randy has laid out the path and The Fourth Decision will give you enhanced confidence to take the next right steps now!
--Michael Wiuff Andersen
CCO, Arcane Tinmen ApS--Denmark
Each of the Decision Series books from Randy is an evolution to the next level of Entrepreneurship. The Fourth Decision is interestingly and appropriately about Maximized Entrepreneurship, and certainly promises to help us all to continue in the journey of entrepreneurship and leadership learning.
--Vishal Kumar
Portfolio Leader, ARM Group
Randy has written a masterpiece with The Fourth Decision. The book brilliantly guides the way to both accelerate and grow your business successfully, as well as to--surprisingly--have more than enough time to spend quality time with your loved ones! I have read many books about accelerating growth and how to become a better leader, but none of these books provided such wise, practical, and proven approaches like Randy Nelson nailed with his book The Fourth Decision. Every entrepreneurial leader should read this book!
--Antoine Jansen
CEO, Marval--United Kingdom
Randy's coaching superpower is motivating and inspiring entrepreneurs to consistently ask the right questions--about themselves, their leadership teams, their organizations' full potential, and ultimately the decision of "What's Next?!" The Fourth Decision is a must read for every self-aware business and entrepreneurial leader.
--Kevin Isaacson
Serial Entrepreneur, Intrapreneur, CEO, Southern Hobby
Our company had the good fortune of having a set of exceptional leaders that took us from $0 to $10 million in revenue. We reached a plateau and realized that we couldn't base our future on the good fortune of running into an endless supply of available, exceptional leaders. Randy Nelson's Decision Series helped us turn strong leaders into exceptional ones. The Decision Tools and Full Potential Growth Model have helped us establish exceptional growth as the norm at our eight-thousand-plus-employee company, and he has managed to turn the art of leadership into a teachable science.
--Bridgett Hurley
Chief Development Officer, Global Growth
A great book for teams to make better, data-backed decisions and meet their maximum potential. In this book, Randy does a great job of helping leaders understand how to audit their current reality and ask hard questions. He then provides clear tools to create a growth strategy that not only leads to success but maximized potential.
--Alex Faust
Director, The Growth Institute (site of The Decision Series Workshops)
This book provides practical tools you can use to improve your life and your business. It's a must read full of insight and opportunity, especially for portfolio entrepreneurs looking to reach full potential with the multiple businesses they own. Apply yourself within, have your leaders apply themselves, and then go win!
--Brian C. Allen
President and CEO, Precision Walls, Inc.
What Randy Nelson has done to improve our business can truly not be understated! The knowledge he's shared and that we've received from his books have moved our company's way of thinking to another level. We've had some real "aha" moments by simply practicing what Randy teaches. Wherever you are personally and/or with your business, Randy's insights will move you to the next level of success. I consider Randy a friend and a true asset to our company!
--Jeromy Murray
President, Beckett Collectibles
As a fellow military veteran and one of the most successful entrepreneurs I have had the privilege to work for, and collaborate with, over the last 16 years, Randy takes leadership and business growth to the next level in The Fourth Decision. Your personal and entrepreneurial life often follows a pattern that Randy has identified through his research and work with thousands of high-growth companies. Having the self-awareness to understand these patterns and leverage the tools Randy provides will help you ensure you reach your full potential and live the rest of your life without regrets.
--Dean Bundshu
Founder - Bunker Labs - --Raleigh - Durham, Serial Entrepreneur
Once again, Randy has blended his successful military and entrepreneurial careers and brought the best of both worlds to The Fourth Decision. If you are willing to do the hard work that Randy challenges you to do, then full potential is within your grasp ... and more importantly, while also enjoying your entrepreneurial journey!
--Cheryl Beth Kuchler Founder and President, CEO Think Tank(R)
The Fourth Decision delivers the Leadership Decision System needed for us to make significantly better Diamond Level Decisions in our personal and professional lives! In our exponential growth journey, we have been the direct beneficiary of Randy's coaching and mentoring and I would highly encourage leaders everywhere to implement his tools for self-awareness and decision-making!
--Ajay Sharma
CFO, Entrust Global Group--India
I have admired all the books in The Decision Series(TM) for their practical application and for directly helping us to successfully build our business and our leadership skills over the past four-plus years. However, I have special appreciation for this book. We have fully adopted the Three+ Business Model Tool, choosing to build Farragut with the Full Potential Growth Model, as well as the Revenue Lever Strategy tool, Qual Cards, and many other tools. The tools have created more clarity for the entire organization--not just the CEO. Using the standard processes and tools created by Randy, we now have more people/leaders get and stay involved in strategy creation and, using these tools, we have seen them significantly increase their ownership of its execution. Not only do Randy's tools work, but they guide you toward your full potential if you are willing to do the hard work to get there!
--Shail Jain
CEO, Farragu
Throughout the Decision Series Randy has written THE GUIDE for every entrepreneurial leader to follow, from Individual Leadership ( The Second Decision ) to Personal Life Leadership ( The Third Decision ), and now in The Fourth Decision, it's all about Organizational Leadership and reaching your full potential. Make no mistake, Randy will challenge you to grow your leadership skills at every turn of the page, so get ready to stay outside your comfort zone, where true growth happens. And if I were you, I would take every opportunity to learn from this top thought leader ... through his books, his workshops at The Decision Center(TM) and his inspiring public speaking (yes, he remains one of my finest students!).
--Mikki Williams
Professional Speakers Hall of Fame, TEDx speaker, Executive Speech Coach, Highly Acclaimed Vistage Leadership Chair
Just like all of Randy's other books, The Fourth Decision is packed full of real-world content and practical tools to challenge and level up entrepreneurs to become Maximized Entrepreneurs. As a Leadership Team Coach, I appreciate how Randy's tools complement business operating platforms. Business coaches everywhere should collaborate using The Decision Series content ... 1 + 1 can equal 5+ when you do!
--Kyle Breischaft
Unite Advisors Managing Partner - Certified Pinnacle Business Guide Certified Scaling Up Coach Certified EOS Implementer(TM) (2015 - 2021)
In The Fourth Decision, Randy Nelson provides an invaluable framework for the Entrepreneur's Life Stages. In addition, the concepts of " What's next ?!" and " Your future core purpose" definitely resonated with me ... all of the entrepreneurs I have known would have benefited from this information early on. This book gives every entrepreneurial leader a roadmap, no matter what stage of life they currently occupy.
--Sam Reese
CEO, Vistage Worldwide, Inc.
Just like all of Randy's other books, The Fourth Decision is packed full of real-world content and practical tools to challenge and level up entrepreneurs to become Maximized Entrepreneurs. As a Leadership Team Coach, I appreciate how Randy's tools complement business operating platforms. Business coaches everywhere should collaborate using The Decision Series content ... 1 + 1 can equal 5+ when you do!
--Kyle Breischaft
Unite Advisors Managing Partner - Certified Pinnacle Business Guide Certified Scaling Up Coach Certified EOS Implementer(TM) (2015 - 2021)
Our company had the good fortune of having a set of exceptional leaders that took us from $0 to $10 million in revenue. We reached a plateau and realized that we couldn't base our future on the good fortune of running into an endless supply of available, exceptional leaders. Randy Nelson's Decision Series helped us turn strong leaders into exceptional ones. The Decision Tools and Full Potential Growth Model have helped us establish exceptional growth as the norm at our eight-thousand-plus-employee company, and he has managed to turn the art of leadership into a teachable science.
--Bridgett HurleyChief Development Officer, Global Growth
There are loads of business books out there -- Randy's are business doctrines with practical, informative, compelling, and actionable guidelines on how to maximize literally any organization. Randy has the unique ability to help you slow down, look in the mirror, and make more informed decisions, much faster and with discipline and incredible confidence. Simple concepts and clearly outlined; no doubt this book will stand the test of time. I'd encourage any leader who is looking to scale their organization to read it -- and share it.
--Ann Jacoby
CEO, Six Sails Market Research h/BCC Research, LLC/Future source Consulting, Ltd.
Throughout the Decision Series Randy has written THE GUIDE for every entrepreneurial leader to follow, from Individual Leadership ( The Second Decision ) to Personal Life Leadership ( The Third Decision ), and now in The Fourth Decision, it's all about Organizational Leadership and reaching your full potential. Make no mistake, Randy will challenge you to grow your leadership skills at every turn of the page, so get ready to stay outside your comfort zone, where true growth happens. And if I were you, I would take every opportunity to learn from this top thought leader ... through his books, his workshops at The Decision Center(TM) and his inspiring public speaking (yes, he remains one of my finest students!). --Mikki Williams
Professional Speakers Hall of Fame, TEDx speaker,
Executive Speech Coach, Highly Acclaimed Vistage Leadership Chair
