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Getting to know you...
Damian McKinney
We talk to the CEO and founder of McKinney Rogers, the global business performance
consultancy that works in partnership with clients to turn business strategy into action.
a courageous pioneer who carried the future What would you say to businesses who
hopes of his fellow man. His unforgettable are worried about tough times ahead?
quote from the moment he touched the I would offer three pieces of advice. Firstly,
moon's surface: ‘That's one small step for believe. Instil a sense of confidence and belief
man; one giant leap for mankind’, lives on in in your business and it becomes a self-fulfilling
the minds of many, both young and old. When prophecy. Treat economic uncertainty as a
Kennedy first suggested going to the moon, so storm you can easily weather and an opportu-
many people said it couldn’t be done and used nity to become even more successful and
every setback the mission experienced as ev- competitive. If you take a defensive position
idence of just that. then you will always be going backwards. If
In the end, it wasn’t technology that enabled you take an offensive outlook, you can break
man to land on the moon, it was belief and it out of any situation and have the potential to
was Armstrong’s great leadership. reap rewards.
Secondly, have a clear vision of exactly
What do you currently do? Looking back are there things that what you want to achieve and be confident
I am the CEO and founder of McKinney you would have done differently? enough to put numbers to it, as well as a time-
Rogers. We specialise in helping our clients ex- Absolutely, it’s easy to look back at your life line. It seems a little obvious to say, but this is
ecute their strategy to its full potential. I have with the clarity of hindsight and think you could where many young businesses fall short. Stick
an overriding passion for helping people to have done things differently. My view is that to that timeline because it’s the fastest way to
‘win’ which translates seamlessly into my work business is about moving forward and accept- achieve year-on-year growth.
life. We help clients win by increasing their ing challenges and hurdles and then finding a In addition to unwaveringly high standards,
business performance and building a platform path through them with passion and determi- make sure you have something unique about
for sustainable growth. nation in order to look back with conviction your business, whether it is the actual product
My interests range from client organisation that you did the best you were capable of at offering or the way in which you run the busi-
missions to working with less fortunate young that juncture. ness. This is absolutely vital to enable potential
people, particularly in East Africa, encouraging clients to distinguish you from your competi-
their abilities to prepare them to become the What defines your way of business? tors and in turn, grow into profitable and loyal
next generation of entrepreneurs. Bringing my experience as an officer in the client base.
Royal Marines to bear in the corporate envi-
Who is your inspiration in business? ronment, I still take the commando spirit with What advice would you give to some-
I would have to say Virgin Group founder, me wherever I go one looking to start up today?
Richard Branson, is a true business inspiration. It’s also very much a part of McKinney Don’t let yourself become ‘lonely at the top’.
He is a corporate maverick, starting with the Rogers’ corporate DNA. It was suggested that It is easy to fall into this trap, particularly if you
Virgin record mail order business in 1970 and I diversify our company culture by toning down feel that you have few people to whom you can
expanding it into the global empire as we know our commando spirit ethos. I did consider this, turn for advice and support. My own solution
it today. until another client said they would drop us if was to join the chief executives’ organisation
Not content with being just a strategist, we lost this most unique aspect of the McKin- Vistage International, which has nearly 700
Branson follows through with concrete actions. ney Rogers. I regret actually considering it be- members around the UK (see page 31.) Other
From him I have learned that if you truly believe cause I am a firm believer in the benefits the group members are fellow bosses from non-
in something, be it a business venture or any- commando spirit brings, for our clients and for competing sectors, and we meet monthly to
thing in life, you really go for it. the company. act as one another’s non-executive directors. I
Today, it is one of the things our clients ap- have thrashed out lots of ideas this way, and
Whom do you admire? preciate most about us. It defines who we are have been helped to make invaluable contacts,
There are quite a few people I admire, but and the way we work as a team with 1) such as our new HR advisor. I encourage all my
to name one, I would have to say astronaut courage and determination, 2) cheerfulness in business friends to join.
Neil Armstrong. the face of adversity, 3) humility and humour
Like Branson, Armstrong is also a maverick; and 4) meritocracy.
www.mckinneyrogers.com
66 • issue 164 Business Matters
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