IAM590- Growth Strategist Focuses on Ending Complexities

Rend is a Growth Strategist, Business Builder, Speaker, and Author. He had an extensive career with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in various leadership roles across the world, working with senior decision-makers in business and government on critical leadership and management topics. He witnessed first-hand how much complexity has overwhelmed strategy, organization, and execution, and why fighting and defeating complexity is the critical missing link in the leadership equation.

As the founding partner and CEO of endCX®, he focuses on senior-to-senior advisory, seminars, and conferences aimed at changing leaders’ mindsets and actions toward ending complexity.
His upcoming book, The Ultimate Leadership Challenge® (Q2,2020), identifies the failure to end complexity as the most critical barrier to True Performance and outlines the required principles and journey for Leaders to fight and defeat the complexity disease. Rend is also chairman of BYZstart®, a growth search fund focused on small-cap acquisitions in the industrial space in Europe.

• CEO Hack: Two quotes – 1) Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication – Leonardo Da Vinci (2) Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex, it takes a touch of genius and – a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction – a Albert Alstein
• CEO Nugget: Apply what you're preaching to yourself
• CEO Defined: Accountability and responsibility

Website: https://www.endcx.com/

www.rendstephan.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rendstephan

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of.

This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Rend Stephen of endcx.com. Rend it's awesome to have you on the show.

Rend Stephen 0:39

Hello. Hi. Nice to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:40

Yeah, super excited to have you on Rend. What I wanted to do is just read a little bit more about him so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing. Rend is a Growth Strategist, Business Builder, Speaker, and Author. He had an extensive career with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in various leadership roles across the world, working with senior decision-makers in business and government on critical leadership and management topics.

He witnessed first-hand how much complexity has overwhelmed strategy, organization, and execution, and why fighting and defeating complexity is the critical missing link in the leadership equation. As the founding partner and CEO of endCX®, he focuses on senior-to-senior advisory, seminars, and conferences aimed at changing leaders’ mindsets and actions toward ending complexity.

His upcoming book, The Ultimate Leadership Challenge® (Q2,2020), identifies the failure to end complexity as the most critical barrier to True Performance and outlines the required principles and journey for Leaders to fight and defeat the complexity disease.

Rend, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

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Rend Stephen 1:37

Happy to.Thanks for the intro.

Gresham Harkless 1:39

Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for doing so many awesome things and helping us to be a lot more effective and simplistic in a lot of things that we're doing. So before we jump into that, I just wanted to hear a little bit more on what I call your CEO story. What led you to get started with your business?

Rend Stephen 1:53

Sure, I mean I started as an engineer, I turned management consultant, then entrepreneur and speaker and writer. So as you rightly mentioned, I mean, my core DNA is spending 20 years working with senior executives on the most challenging problems. That is the core of what I did and this is where I discovered how much complexity is, you know, so problematic for leaders. I've seen complexity spread far and deep eating away many leaders potential denying them the performance and success they deserve. I think this is not acceptable. I think every leader aiming for true performance, should actually think about what complexity is and how they should fight it. So after about 20 years in management consulting, I'm moved to starting MCX and we can talk about this, of course.

Gresham Harkless 2:49

Yeah, absolutely. I definitely appreciate that. I think that so many times, and I don't know if you feel this exact same way. But I know Steve Jobs has this quote, where or I think it's a concept, right? It might be a quote, he says it a lot more eloquently than I'm about to say it, but he basically says that you have to work to be simple or to get to really be precise. I think a lot of times complexity to me, and I don't know, if you find this with the clients that you work with sometimes means that you're maybe not clear on exactly what it is that you're doing, and it can affect you as a leader.

Rend Stephen 3:20

Well, definitely, I mean, complexity means a lot of things, but not to get back to roughly what you mentioned about Steve, I think Leonardo da Vinci has a quote, a very important quote that I typically mentioned in my seminars, and in my advisory with leaders. He basically says simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. I mean, that's a very short sentence. But it tells you a lot that you have to aim to end complexity, you have to aim for simplicity as a goal. I mean, it's not like, Oh, I think about complexity, when I feel that life is becoming a little bit complex. It's more of a mindset that day in and day out, actually says, I want to extract complexity out of my life, because that is the only path to true performance. I think that's extremely important. I'm sure Steve is absolutely on board with that.

Gresham Harkless 4:12

Yeah, that makes so much sense. It's definitely powerful. I think so many times we get caught up in so many different things that being able to aim for simplicity and have that as a Northstar is something that a lot of times we overlook and forget and just assume happens. But I know obviously you're doing that with endCX so what I wanted to do was just hear a little bit more about you know, how you're working with clients and what exactly you're doing.

Rend Stephen 4:33

Sure, I mean, we focus on the triangle of leadership complexity and performance. We basically strive to rally leaders around the world to focus their mindsets on fighting and defeating complexity across strategy, organization, and execution. In business, government, and life in general. We basically operate in three main entities but I'll focus on one more today, which is what we call endCX. I mean, endCX centers on disseminating ideas and changing mindsets. It is a senior to the senior advisory firm, with high-caliber professionals providing seminars, conferences, boot camps, and senior-level coaching.

Basically, it carries the battle against complexity to where it matters most, in my view, which are the mindsets and hearts of decision makers, to help leaders fight and defeat the complexity disease. So basically, we advise leaders, we run seminars, we run conferences, and we make sure that we can help leaders actually defeat complexity as the only path to true performance. That's at the heart of what we do. We do that in Europe and the US, maybe we can go broader. But at this stage, these are kind of the two regions in which we are focusing. Now on the side of endCX, and that doesn't mean it's less important but we also have started a growth fund, basically, we are acquiring small and medium-sized enterprises to actually activate their growth.

We are also building a platform that is looking for technological breakthroughs, to D complexify business models. So it's all under the same umbrella. Leadership, complexity, and performance, we do it by helping leaders build their businesses much better. We also build businesses ourselves, and we're looking for some breakthrough, business model innovators that we can actually leverage.

Gresham Harkless 6:28

Nice, I definitely appreciate that and appreciate all the work you're doing. Especially obviously, related to the disease of complexity, as you talked about now, let me do in. Definitely correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that a lot of times, the work that you start out with endCX starts to create that domino effect in the products that obviously you guys create, but also the supporting products, or start supporting initiatives that people have as well, too. But it sounds like it starts in kind of like that mindset piece and you said in the heart as well, too, is that really where it starts, and then it manifests itself in those other different ways?

Rend Stephen 7:05

It absolutely starts from the mindset. I mean, I've seen it, maybe I can put it small anecdote. I was once waiting in front of the Office of the CEO whom I had never met before, but I had a meeting with him and waited in the office. In the offices, you can see the vision and mission of the company and the strategy, and all that on the walls. He had also on top of that had a big transformation program on the walls, well designed with a lot of initiatives, color tracking, to figure out where they are, etc. Interesting to see and then I went in, and basically the CEO said it was, again, the first time I met him, and he said, Look, this meeting is about figuring out and helping me manage this transformation program.

Basically, I told him, Well, if that is what he's expecting of me, managing this transformation program, this is going to be a very short conversation. What I meant actually is we should not manage complexity. This is what I spent the next two hours with the CEO saying, look, there is no point in managing complexity, it has failed again, and again, and again. All these big frameworks, all these transformational approaches, we know that about 70% of them actually fail either completely, or they do not reach their potential. So what we need to focus on is ending complexity, and ending complexity, meaning, basically three things, it means by first, a change of mindset that actually sees complexity where it is.

I can talk about this a little bit better if you want because we become blind to it, we become just used to the way it is. Therefore we are blind to it, we don't see it and we operate within complexity day in and day out. That's the first step. That's what you mentioned Gresh, when you said it's about the mindsets. I pretty much agree that is the first step. By the way, I call it in my book, take the red pill, I don't know, if you remember the matrix, it's exactly that. You have to take the red pill, you have to see the world exactly as it is. Because I've in my experience, most leaders and very, very strong leaders, like all of us. We become blind to what's around us. So it does, absolutely start from that and then there are two other steps we can talk about. But to your question, it starts absolutely with the mindset that changes your mindset.

Gresham Harkless 9:27

Yeah, no, that's absolutely huge. I'm glad you kind of touched on that because that was gonna be something I was wondering as well too. A lot of times when you have if you're so close to it, especially as a lot of leaders are in senior leadership and in their organizations and companies, like how do you know when you have that complexity, you probably manifest itself in certain ways and you start to see it and realize that that is a kind of result of being too complex and not having that simplistic simplicity in your organization.

Rend Stephen 9:55

Absolutely and of course, it's very difficult to see as then taking the red pill. All of us would need help with that. That's what we provide the first, you know, the ability to help leaders actually see where complexity is. There are multiple indicators that work with leaders on that team leaders and senior executives. One of them, it's also probably an interesting anecdote, we call in the book, the home renovation paradox. It's basically it's very simple, I mean, somehow, but imagine you buy you buy a house, and then you get a kid, and then you add, you add a bedroom, and maybe you buy a car and you make a bigger garage, and then maybe you need a bigger kitchen, or you add a veranda on the, but what I'm trying to say is that 10 years into the home renovation, you find yourself with a house that is somewhat nice.

But you can see that there are new houses popping up in the neighborhood that are much better than yours. Even though your house you spent a lot of time and energy on renovating it, what's happening is that your house has become complex. Because you've added things incrementally, that's what we call also the incremental improvement paradox. Every decision you've made, in terms of renovating the house, was absolutely logical was warranted. I'm not saying that these were stupid decisions, what I'm saying is that's why I call it a paradox, the addition of a number of decisions actually leads to a suboptimal sub-optimal outcome and that is extremely important for leaders.

So they could have done many good things across the years, but it does not mean that where they are is the best outcome they can be and we help them look at this, and dismantle all these incremental decisions, which basically our next step, the first step is read, sorry, take the red pill. The next step we go with them is what we call reframe, redefine, and redesign. Basically, you in many instances, and that was the case with a CEO story I just mentioned. In many instances, you have to actually reframe, redefine, and redesign what you have, with a blank sheet, take out all the things that do not matter, and focus only on what matters. It's a tough thing to do because we are attached to everything around us. But it is the only thing to do so that you can reach through performance.

Gresham Harkless 12:28

I definitely appreciate that. Now I wanted to ask you about what I call your secret sauce and you might have already touched on this, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart or makes your organization unique?

Rend Stephen 12:39

Our secret sauce is to work with leaders on these three things, change of mindset, complete redesign, and everything that doesn't matter, then give them the courage to focus. Because focus means saying no, and saying no meanings sometimes upsets people. So we work on these three angles. That's that's our position.

Gresham Harkless 13:01

Awesome. I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So that could be like an app or book or habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Rend Stephen 13:13

The two famous quotes I strive to live by if I can. One we've already mentioned is the United DaVinci saying Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Meaning you put simplicity as a goal, day in and day out. Because you have to do it day in and day out. It's not you remember it once a month, that that's a big thing. The other one is Albert Einstein, he basically said, you've probably noticed one, any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. So these are two things that I take as paramount.

Gresham Harkless 13:53

So would you consider that to be what I call like your CEO hack, which is a CEO nugget, which is like a word of wisdom or piece of advice that you would give?

Rend Stephen 14:01

It would be I guess, that's very important. Whatever you are preaching, you have to make sure you lie to yourself and the second piece is, what are we preaching? Which are the two things I've just mentioned?

Gresham Harkless 14:16

Yeah, absolutely. Now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different quote and quote CEOs on the show. So Rend what has been a CEO meant to you?

Rend Stephen 14:26

To me CEO means two things, it means accountability and responsibility. Accountability, because I'm accountable for everything, the buck stops here. I mean, there is no point blaming others, etc. Of course, you need to make sure you manage people and lead them appropriate way give sometimes negative feedback or constructive feedback that doesn't work, but in the end, I am accountable. That's very important.

The second one, and last one, I am responsible for everyone, meaning my decisions affect the lives of those in my ecosystem. I'm not running alone. I'm responsible for everyone.

Gresham Harkless 15:05

I appreciate that definition. Appreciate your time, even more, what I wanted to do is pass you the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional, you want to let our readers and listeners know and then of course, how best they can get hold of you get a copy of the book and find out about all the awesome things you're working on.

Rend Stephen 15:18

Well, of course, you can have, you can look at our websites, and the book is coming up in the summer. But I mean, the book is one of the tools. We already applying the same tools in the book with all our seminars, boot camps, and senior advisory. So if you believe you're suffering from complexity, we can help other experts who put complexity at the heart of what they do. They're not many, that's one. The second one is sometimes you don't even know that you suffer from complexity. So if you have problems in terms of performance, we may be able to help you think about whether it is complexity. That is the cause basically.

Gresham Harkless 16:02

Awesome. Well, thank you so much again, Rend. I truly appreciate that. We will have the links and information in the show notes so that everybody can follow up with you. But thank you for letting us know about complexity, creating awareness around it, and of course giving us the tools and expertise to be able to fight it as well too. So I appreciate that and I appreciate you even more and I hope you have a phenomenal day.

Outro 16:23

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