January 12, 2012
As one of five directors of Bluefish Wireless Management, an
Indianapolis-based IT company providing custom wireless management solutions, I’m often asked a question that is completely warranted when it comes to our leadership model: How is it possible to launch and maintain a company with five CEOs all acting on the same level?
After 10 years of creating, struggling and succeeding together, I can reply that the directors of Bluefish are still thriving as business partners and friends, as well as describe how and why our multiple
CEO approach works.
For most, a multiple-man CEO plan would induce nightmares of relentless power struggles, finger pointing and financial confrontation. Shockingly enough, we can say that our multiperson leadership model works just fine. In fact, it’s the driving force behind our company’s continued success.
In 2001, I joined forces with four long-time friends—Joshua Garrett,
Tony Paris, Christian Browning and Michael Browning—and hit the ground running with a business endeavor we knew had its fair share of risks and obstacles. When we founded Bluefish on the foundation of equality, we certainly foresaw the management challenges that could lie ahead.
Fortunately, with luck and hard work, we transitioned this idea into a successful business model. The key? Always being 100 percent openminded, brutally honest and all business when we need to be.
Our first office was unconventional, to say the least: five men, five desks, one roundtable, all in one very small room. Within such close quarters, we could hear the way the others sold, worked and responded to people— an unconventional setup that allowed each of us to play to one another’s business strengths. When the urge for a “round table meeting” struck, we’d simply spin our chairs around and confer openly.
With five unique viewpoints, at least one of us is always bound to oppose an idea. However, channeling ideas into a forum based on open discussion—even heated disagreements—allowed the us to act truly as a team and ultimately end up with the best decision for the business.
We realized early on that our business structure was much different than a single-CEO, or even double-CEO, structure. As every director contributes a unique background and skill set, Bluefish’s directors have each managed all departments within the organization at one time or another. Whether managing strategy, development, employees, execution or financials, every director brings a valuable skill set to the business and each director has an equal vote in key decisions.
Trusting each member in his subject-matter expertise is essential.
When in a disagreement, each individual must advocate harder, not louder, and always let reason prevail.
With the constant accessibility to a high-level individual to bounce ideas off of, all important decisions are thoroughly considered and executed with far greater piece of mind. As a team of five, we haven’t just spent our careers building businesses that help Fortune
100 companies seamlessly manage their wireless programs—we’ve created a multiperson business model that’s truly pioneering for any field.
Scott Kraege is a managing partner of two wireless mobility management companies, Bluefish Wireless
Management and MOBI wireless management. Bluefish
Wireless specializes in wireless lifecycle management services for Fortune 500 companies while MOBI wireless management provides a software-based solution helping companies better manage their wireless portfolios and carrier relationships. http://www.business2community.com/leadership/bluefish-wirelessmanagement-where-ceos-really-can-wwim-in-fives-0117622