7 Habits of Highly Successful Fast Growth Solution Providers

Tools Of The Trade

What makes a company grow sales at a pace many businesses can only dream of? Often, it starts at the top. A leader with a clear vision and a drive to overcome obstacles can forge new pathways and be convincing promoters of their products and services. Well, we wondered what habits such personalities might possess. Here, seven execs of companies -- ranging from $4.1 billion World Wide to $2.5 million HillSouth -- share habits worth noting.

Majdi "Mike" Daher, Denali Advanced Integration

Two-year growth rate: 78 percent

I have the habit of collecting and validating information by asking three people about the information that I have. If each gives me the same or similar answer, then the information is 100 percent accurate, and I can easily make my decision. If two of them give me the same or similar answer, then the information I received is accurate but not as widely distributed, so we need to work on communication. If all three are not similar, then the information is inaccurate, and we need to not make a decision and work on getting the facts straight. I also have the habit of never making a decision when I’m happy or upset. And, I have the habit playing the "devil's advocate" once everyone agrees to a decision. If the team sticks with it and fights for it going forward, we make the decision.

Denali earned $157 million in 2011 revenue.

Julie Haley, Edge Solutions

Two-year growth rate: 549 percent

I exercise every morning -- at the very least, five minutes of push-ups and mat Pilates. Those five minutes are better than a shrink! And, I also encourage our team to exercise. Helps the brain all day!

Edge Solutions earned $22 million in 2011 revenue.

Robby Hill, HillSouth

Two-year growth rate: 170 percent

Focus on the solutions and services to your customers and the sales will follow. We never set out to become a fast growing company; but, we do have a goal to attract talented professionals to our team and deliver top quality services and products to our clients. Those two things have been the "secret sauce" and fueled our amazing growth over the last several years.

HillSouth earned $2.5 million in 2011 revenue.

John McNeely, Sword & Shield

Two-year growth rate: 93.5 percent

To build and scale a fast growth company, I work daily to keep my team focused on getting the right things done. It is so easy to get off track with all of the "opportunities" that come up nearly every day in the IT industry. Having a simple primary goal and a short list of strategies to get there becomes a barometer to keep a team focused.

Sword & Shield earned $143 million in 2011 revenue.

Dan Weiss, Varrow

Two-year growth rate: 223 percent

Listen to all sides and make sure people feel heard. Then make a decision quickly.

Varrow earned $62.3 million in 2011 revenue.

Jim Kavanaugh, World Wide Technology

Two-year growth rate: 86.36 percent

My two habits would be: One, listening to CNBC every morning on the way to work; and two, meeting with my senior management team every Monday morning at 7 a.m., to keep a real-time pulse on the business

World Wide Technology earned $4.1 billion in 2011 revenue.

Susie Galyardt, XIOSS

Two-year growth rate: 3267 percent

Each morning, I grab my iPad, open my Flipboard app and skim through the Tech, Forbes and Entrepreneur boards. I also recently downloaded CRN's iPad app. It keeps me fresh on the aggregate of news hitting the Web.

XIOSS earned $10.1 million in 2011 revenue.

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