cover image No Man’s Land: What to Do When Your Company Is Too Big to Be Small but Too Small to Be Big

No Man’s Land: What to Do When Your Company Is Too Big to Be Small but Too Small to Be Big

Doug Tatum, . . Portfolio, $24.95 (245pp) ISBN 978-1-59184-172-2

Financial and tech consultant Tatum’s excellent guide brings fresh insight that will help fast-growing companies navigate the fatal trap of “no man’s land,” a perilous zone where they have outgrown the habits and practices that fueled their early growth but have not yet adopted new practices and resources to cope with their new situation and challenges. “The growth that leads a company into No Man’s Land will not lead a company out of it,” warns the author. In the adolescent growth stage that kicks in around the 20-employee mark, companies must return to the fundamental promise they offer customers, shifting from intuitive and undisciplined leadership from the founder and low wages and grueling hours for employees to a more efficient and scalable system. Often, this transition requires a new set of leaders with experience at large companies and a different financial structure. Tatum’s potent guide communicates the key ideas vividly with engaging stories and evocative writing, and will help leaders identify and survive a key phase in a company’s growth. (Sept.)