Recently I “sat down” via Skype with Isaac Getz, who lives in Paris, to ask him about the new book that he coauthored with Brian Carney: “Freedom, Inc.”

The book explores a topic near and dear to the CEOFlow heart: the journeys leaders took to build environments in which employees, without having to be told what to do, have the freedom and responsibility to take independent actions that they decide are in the best interests of the company.

I love this quote that Getz and Carney use in their book: “If you put fences around people, you get sheep,” said William L. McKnight, 3M’s chief executive, in 1924.  Their premise is that If you give your workers maximum autonomy, in the right conditions and culture, they will “lead your business to higher productivity, profits and growth.”

Here’s the basic four steps the authors suggest are important on the path of creating and maintaining a freedom culture that generates great results:

1. Excite employees about a vision for the company so that they own it and feel that they are true contributors to making it real, not cogs in a machine.
2. Eliminate “all the symbols and practices that prevent your people from feeling equal.” If different groups feel disrespected or that they are lower classes, they won’t be energized to go above and beyond for a company.  In other words, why should they work harder or smarter when it’s others that reap all the benefit – whether in money or respect?
3. Stop trying to motivate employees – you can’t.  All you can do is create an environment in which they are encouraged and allowed to motivate themselves (see my own post on Push vs Pull Management).
4. Once the new culture is in place, maintain it at all costs.

Personally, I’m very excited to see another great book come out that will help give CEOs and leaders more examples of how to create these kinds of cultures.  Thank you Isaac Getz and Brian Carney!  You can buy the Freedom, Inc. book on Amazon.

Interview of Isaac Getz, Author, “Freedom, Inc.”

Know any CEOs feeling overwhelmed while juggling life, employees and the world? I have a great opportunity for both you and the person that refers them to me…

CEOFlow is my coaching program for CEOs. I saw, from being a CEO, working with them and knowing many of them, that it’s easy to create a business that traps you rather than works for you.  It’s also just plain lonely at the top.

While we begin by focusing first just on the CEO themself, because the CEO is the ‘pebble in the pond’ that creates every ripple within the business, the CEOFlow system is about turning your employees into mini-CEOs who can help you run and grow your business like high-level executives.

Here is what is possible for CEOs to experience:

• A peaceful and centered mind – stress is the enemy (of your and your company’s success)
• Manage & succeed by being yourself rather than stepping into a different CEO personality at work
• More enjoyment of your business and your daily work
• Your ideal combination of money, freedom and adventure

Free CEOFlow Coaching Session (One Available Per Week)

I’m offering a free 30-minute CEOFlow coaching session to one CEO per week (each is a $375 value). Again, for a sense of the specifics of the program and my approach, you can take a look at www.CEOFlow.com/mini-ceos.

How To Apply

Send an email to my Support Goddess Samantha (samantha at pebblestorm dot com), with answers these questions:

1. How many employees (including part-time or independent contractors) do you have?
2. If you could wave a magic wand and change 3 things in your business or life right now, what would they be?
3. What 3-4 things do you feel are holding back the potential of a) your business, and b) you within it?

Looking forward to speaking with you,

Aaron Ross

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