How to lead and manage best talent to drive growth. Fundamentals of a growth company to succeed with the best people. Learnings when changes among individuals need to be made.

1. MANAGING AND LEADING TALENT TO DRIVE GROWTH
MATTI HEIKKONEN, +358 40 548 4487, MATTI@QUESTBACK.COM, @MHEIKKONEN
Software Entrepreneurs Association, 9.4.2015, Helsinki, Finland

2. Board positions
Other operative positions
Positions of trust
Matti Heikkonen
Areas of expertise:
‐ SaaS / Cloud business models and strategies
‐ Sales intensity, sales leadership and growth
‐ Execution and scalability
‐ Growth entrepreneurship and leadership
Areas of personal interest:
‐ triathlon, snow mobiling, piano
Current position:
‐ QuestBack AS (since 2010)
‐ Senior Executive Vice President, Global
Operations (COO)
‐ Global GTM P/L and commercial processes
0 ‐ 1 meur
2 ‐ 5 meur
20 ‐ 50 mUSD
Revenue shift Valuation
0 ‐ 1 meur
3 ‐ 10 meur
40 ‐ 250 mUSD
Growth entrepreneurships Role
CEO
CEO
COO
Timeframe
1998 ‐ 2000
2007 ‐ 2010
2010 ‐
0 ‐ 2 meur 0 ‐ 3 meur Chairman 2004 ‐ 2007

3. MY PERSONAL TAKE ON ELEMENTS YOU NEED TO MASTER IN
MANAGING AND LEADING TALENT IN GROWTH COMPANIES

4. WHAT MOTIVATES GREATEST PEOPLE @WORK
RECOGNITIONINCENTIVES/COMPENSATION
COLLEAGUES
GOALS
VISION
NONE OF
THE ABOVE !
INSPIRING LEADERSHIP

5. WHAT MOTIVATES GREATEST PEOPLE @WORK
PROGRESS OF
MEANINGFUL
WORK

6. YOU SHALL NEVER
STOP ASKING WHY
NEVER STOP ASKING WHY

7. Businesses are a collection of assets
and people. Unify them with a common
PURPOSE, and you get excellence

8. ETHOS => PURPOSE CULTURE VALUES STRATEGY TACTICS
WHY
ARE WE HERE?
WHAT
DO WE BELIEVE?
HOW
ARE WE GOING TO WIN
TIMELESS TRUTH TIMELY ACTS
WITH GREAT PEOPLE, IT ALL STARTS WITH A STRONG ETHOS
=> ETHOS IS A GREEK WORD THAT DESCRIBE THE BELIEFS OF A COMMUNITY/TRIBE

9. Return to your roots to find the origins
of inspiration, distinctiveness and soul
THE BEGINNING
Ethos don’t change over time, it’s timeless
THE BEGINNING
Celebrate the past, and you
will celebrate in the future
THE BEGINNING
ETHOS => YOUR ROOTS ARE WHERE YOU FIND THE MEANING

10. Culture is not what you do, but what you have done
CREATING CULTURE
Culture X World Occuring = Behaviour
CREATING CULTURE
Culture is defined by an organization’s shared beliefs
CREATING CULTURE
CULTURE => CREATING THE CULT IN OUR CULTURE

11. CREATIVITY
RESILIENCE
SELF‐STARTER
PEOPLE QUALITIES YOU NEED TO HAVE IN EVERYONE
TO DRIVE GROWTH
TOLERANCE FOR
PRESSURE
AND THE REST WILL
SLOW YOU DOWN

12. BUILDING A‐TEAM REQUIRES A‐PEOPLE TO ATTRACT AND HIRE
THE RIGHT TALENT AROUND THEM (A)
A A
B C
AND YOU NEED TO START
FROM THE TOP (YOURSELF)

13. FOR MARTYRS TO EXHAUS FOR GUILTY TO EXHAUS
E1 E2
MYSELF?
OTHERS FOR ME?
YOU NEED A FINE CONTROL OF DOING THINGS BY ONESELF VS.
DELEGATING PEOPLE TO DO THINGS FOR EACHOTHER
KEY IS TO ENSURE THE INDIVIDUALS EXHAUST
E1 PRIOR TO GOING E2
MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE FULLY CAPABLE OF EXECUTING E1
THEMSELVES TO BE ABLE TO MASTER GROWTH

14. GATEKEEPER
MENTOR
LANGUAGE RITHUALS
PRINCIPLES NORMS
SIGNS DISCIPLINE
TRIBAL CULTURE CAN BECOME A UNIQUE ASSET
COMMONALITIES

15. EACH EMOTIONAL VAMPIRE IS
CAPABLE OF SUCKING LIFE OUT
OF 5 COLLEAGUES OF HIS/HER
EXTINCT EMOTIONAL
VAMPIRES

16. COMMON CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE
SUBJECT TO DERAILING
WRONG PLACE
AT A WRONG TIME
NON‐PERFORMERS
NON‐BELIEVERS
MISMATCHED WITH ROLE
CULTURALLY
INCOMPATIBLE
EMOTIONAL VAMPIRE
PERSONAL ISSUES
COMPROMISED INTEGRITY

17. WHEN TERMINATION SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED AN OPTION

18. 10 PEOPLE ISSUES
OUT OF A DOZEN
ARE DUE TO LACK OF
LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES

19. ATTRACT & HIRE
DEVELOP & RETAIN
ENGAGE & MOBILIZE
LEAD & SCALE
EXIT & ALUMNI
KEY PROCESSES
TO LOOK AT
FOR FAILURES

20. KEY LEARNINGS AND ADVICE WHEN TOUGH
DISCUSSIONS NEED TO HAPPEN
ABD (ALWAYS BE DOCUMENTING)
PROCESS EATS RATIONALE FOR BREAKFAST
OBJECTIVE
TRANSPARENT
ENSURE YOU HAVE YOUR BASICS IN PLACE!
NEVER EVER OUTSOURCE EXECUTION OR ACCOUNTABILITY
KEEP CONTROL

21. CHAOS
3 CARDINAL DIRECTIONS
TO NAVIGATE CHAOS
PATIENCE
USING CHAOS TO NAVIGATE AS A LEADER IN THE
WORLD OF COMPLETE UNCERTAINTY

22. DREAM OF CHANGING THE WORLD
THANK YOU!
+358 40 5484487
matti@questback.com
@MHeikkonen