It’s All About the People: Interview with Erik Linn, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of CrossCountry Consulting
I recently went one on one with Erik Linn, co-founder and managing partner of CrossCountry Consulting. Erik was the founder and CEO of Capital Advisory Services, LLC (CapAdvisory) before selling his firm to Navigant.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Erik: I grew up in a small town in Montgomery County, Maryland and was blessed to have very loving and supportive parents. My dad worked for the Federal government and my mom worked in the county school system. Although neither of them were entrepreneurs, they both had a strong work ethic and were great role models. I first realized my interest in entrepreneurship even as a teenager – selling swim lessons and snacks at the pools where I lifeguarded. At James Madison University, it was clear majoring in business was the perfect next step for me. Upon graduation, I took a job at Arthur Andersen to broaden my horizons and get exposure to different business models and industries.
I took my first big risk at 25, quitting my ‘safe and secure’ job at Andersen to go out on my own and start a consulting firm, Capital Advisory Services, LLC. I didn’t sleep the night before resigning, which, as it turns out, was the first of many nights without enough sleep. I had a few client opportunities to get myself billable to start out, but knew nothing about actually building a company. I soon found myself serving clients during the day, recruiting employees at night, and processing payroll and other administrative activities over the weekends. It was exhilarating to have my own company, but after running hard for a couple of years, I hit a wall and had to make some tough decisions about how to best use my time. This was a very important learning experience and opportunity, and set me up to better understand all areas of building and scaling a business. This experience early on has infinitely helped throughout the years leading CrossCountry.
Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?
Erik: At CrossCountry, there are a few key steps of importance as it relates to growing and scaling the business. First was defining our culture – what we’re all about. We attract and retain the best because we started from day one with very clearly defined core values (excellence, energy, collaboration, and impact) that differentiate our firm. Second, we built an operations platform (recruiting, human resources, and finance) in anticipation of success. This part was critical in our journey so that our consultants were supported in their career journey and our firm could absorb growth. Lastly, we hire the best. Our culture and our platform enables this, but we’ve never lowered the bar on either the personality or collaborative nature of our employees, or on their depth of expertise.
Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?
Erik: The best leaders pride themselves on team success over personal accolades. Employees love working for leaders who model shared success. Second, we at CrossCountry value leaders who care deeply and invest in our employee base. We want to make sure that our team is supported both in their professional journey and in achieving life goals. Both of these are critical for well rounded, engaged employees. We value leaders who are entrepreneurial and are drawn to building the practice, but who also get energy from building CrossCountry as a whole.
Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Erik: I love the view of “Level 5” leaders from business researcher, Jim Collins, noting that leaders from successful companies have a specific combination of “extreme personal humility” and “intense professional will.” We have lots of those at CrossCountry. I encourage our staff to find a leader they admire and try to emulate the positive and highly effective traits they see. We also have an open-door policy, so that all of our current and aspiring leaders are available for formal and informal mentoring. So – go seek out those leaders!
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?
Erik: That’s a wide and diverse group of leaders.
It’s all about the people, so build an all-star team and don’t settle.
Surround yourself with people that complement your gifts and talents.
Endless gratitude – your team is going to work hard to be successful so tell them how much you appreciate them!
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?
Erik: Empower and be available to them. If you’re hiring the right people, they don’t need to be managed closely. Be a strategic advisor, coach, and sounding board when they need it. If you have to micromanage someone, they might not be the right team member.
Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing and branding?
Erik: If you’re running a growth company such as CrossCountry, your company’s brand needs a refresh every three to four years. We found that our capabilities and depth of expertise was often ahead of our market presence, so make sure that your sales and marketing strategies remain proactive and forward thinking, and your overall brand continues to represent your current services and values.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Erik: Life is short, so make sure that you are spending it with the people who are going to enhance your life experience – this includes your colleagues and the work culture you choose to be a part of.
Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.
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