C3D Sneak Peak: The Power of Aligning the SLT

Why an Aligned Senior Leadership Team is Crucial for Business Growth and Value

By George Sandmann, Founder & CEO of Growth-Drive

In my recent work on the C3D certification—centered on the 3 Dimensions of Business Growth—one critical insight stood out: the immense value of an aligned and accountable senior leadership team. Whether you’re guiding a business towards predictable profitability, transferable value, or a successful exit, this alignment is a game-changer. It’s not just about operational success; it’s about unlocking exponential growth and maximizing enterprise value. And as a business advisor, facilitating this alignment can generate up to $20,000 per engagement while delivering transformative results for your clients.

At Growth-Drive, we emphasize minimizing dependency on the current CEO or owner by distributing accountabilities across the leadership team. This shift allows the CEO to move out of tactical roles and into strategic leadership—focusing on the big picture of transferable value, executing strategic plans, and preparing for succession. The private capital markets and potential buyers evaluate businesses through the lens of Strategic Capacity: the ability to predictably and sustainably deliver free cash flow. An aligned leadership team is a cornerstone of this capacity, directly influencing succession planning, salability, and valuation.

The Growth-Drive Solution: Senior Leadership Alignment

Alignment starts with CLARITY. Using the Growth-Drive methodology and our precision software, you can guide CEOs to gain clarity on their intent and the pathway to achieve it. From there, you'll assess the SLT (Senior Leadership Team) to determine if everyone shares the same understanding of current capacity and understands their role in executing strategy.

The newly launched Senior Leadership Alignment Report in Growth-Drive’s powerful and precise CLARITY Strategic Capacity & Business Value Analysis software is a breakthrough tool for you the advisor. This report provides a clear analysis of team alignment across 24 Growth-Driving Objectives, revealing areas of consensus and misalignment. Addressing such gaps early ensures that strategic planning or exit planning efforts are built on a solid foundation. In over a decade of studying this issue we have never -not once- seen an aligned team. Imagine the implications.

Transformative Conversations for Growth

The power of the alignment report lies in the conversations it fosters. Imagine presenting anonymized data to the SLT and leading discussions like, “Why might it be true that our margins don’t meet industry standards?” or “What evidence supports or contradicts our belief about market opportunity?” These dialogues align perspectives, build trust, and clarify the path forward.

Moreover, facilitating such workshops positions you as a trusted advisor while creating significant value for the client. Whether you charge $5,000 or $20,000, these engagements deliver a compelling ROI by addressing foundational misalignments that could otherwise derail growth or a successful exit.

A Community of Growth Drivers

If facilitating workshops isn’t within your skill set, remember that Growth-Drive is a community. Partner with colleagues skilled in facilitation to deliver this critical service. Together, we’re committed to helping businesses achieve predictable profitability and sustainable growth.

Why Alignment Matters for Every Exit Path

Whether your client is planning for an internal transfer, private equity recapitalization, or third-party sale, Strategic Capacity™ remains a critical factor. Aligned leadership teams not only enhance operational efficiency but also build confidence among lenders and buyers.

For example, lenders financing an internal transfer scrutinize the business’s ability to generate predictable cash flow. Similarly, buyers deliver a higher price for businesses with cohesive leadership capable of executing a shared strategy. By facilitating alignment, you’re directly enhancing your client’s exit options and outcomes.

Unlock the Potential of Alignment

The Senior Leadership Alignment Report is more than just a tool: it’s the gateway to transformative results. By identifying misalignments and fostering meaningful conversations, you’ll help your clients build leadership teams that are collaborative, transparent, and accountable—the bedrock of a high-value business.

Are you ready to move your client into high gear? Leverage Growth-Drive’s precise software  and community to position yourself as the advisor who drives real growth and maximizes business value. Let’s align for the win—together. -George

We as a community are grateful to the C3D faculty for generously sharing their time and knowledge. For the class I reference in the video we can thank Fletcher Brown, CEO of BEI (home of the CExP) and Erik Owen, Principal at Oak Hill Business Partners, CEPA. Thank you!

Growth-Drive's 90.io COHORT ONE is launched! We had a great kick off session and will drive clients to killer results in 2025 and beyond. Big thanks to the 90.io team and to the +20 Growth-Drivers who are participating in this first-of-many cohort.  

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and HERE'S TO A KILLER 2025! Thank you all. -George and the Growth-Drive Team.