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 retirethey 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 Whats 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. 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 retirethey 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 Whats 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.
FOREWORD
Our Coaching PartnershipGrowth 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?
Whats Next?!
The ME Equation and the Self-Awareness Decision Tool
The Entrepreneurs Life Stages, Part I
The Entrepreneurs Life Stages, Part II
The ME Exit and Transition Phase
SECTION TWO: LEADERSHIP
A Wayfinder for the Maximizer: Where Have We Been? Whats 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 AwarenessCrossing the Customer Diamond Bridge
ResetFour Questions and the ME Bridge
The Fourth Decision and the Clarity Leadership Decision System
APPENDIX A
The Maximized Entrepreneurial Qual CardWhats Next?!
APPENDIX B
About the Decision Center
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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 Randys background and his service offerings, visit www.randyhnelson.com.
