1. Navigating The Labyrinth From Research
to Commercialization: Of Cults and
Leadership
Richard LeBlanc
Leader | Entrepreneur | Mentor | Investor

2. TODAY’S AGENDA
STATEMENT: Research & commercialization are
startups
QUESTION: Why does research have a poor
commercialization track record?
HINT: Successful startups build a cult with mafioso rules
Leadership skill set and tools
Do small things really well - world class preferably

3. ENTREPRENEURS ARE
ARTISTS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r51eQ2vPZSs

4. CONTRARIANISM – DON’T
COPY, COMPOSE AN ORIGINAL

5. CONTRIANISM (IT ISN’T
FOR EVERYONE)
Nietzsche: “Madness is rare in individuals, but in groups, parties,
nations and ages it is the rule.”
Step 1 = question what we know to be true
Step 2 = find a most contrarian truth
Step 3 = build a cult around that truth
3 effective steps for dealing with
…evolving, uncomfortable reality vs. a stable fantasy…

6. STARTUP THINKING
SHAPES HUMANITY
Vast majority of new tech comes from startups.
Jobs, GDP, wealth, social / political outcomes too.
All great world bettering accomplishments came
from:
Small groups of people
Bounded fanatically by a common sense of
mission
What is a startup? (insert your definition _______)

7. STARTUP THINKING -
PEOPLE
Startup = largest group of people you can convince of a
plan to build a different future
Negative contributors to success
BigOrg very hard to develop new things
Risk averse, slow, metrics about activity, invested
Solo even harder – cannot create an industry
Positive contributors to startup success
#1 strength is new thinking – nimble space to think
Question received wisdom, rethink from scratch

8. THINKING = BUILDING
NEW MENTAL CAPITAL
People + Leadership = Mental Capital
Mental capital is the most valuable asset
you can ever construct
And it doesn’t even show up as an entry
on a balance sheet
What mental capital is missing from your
opportunity in order to advance? 5KH

9. BIG ORG + MENTAL
CAPITAL
People + Leadership = Mental Capital
Mental capital is the most valuable
asset you can ever construct
Asset allocation = CEO differentiator
Not taught in MBA schools
Big problem… not thinking differently

10. DESIGN THE FUTURE –
FROM BEGINNING TEAM
Founding matrimony – date first
Ownership vs Possession vs Control
Board of 3-5-7-9, excess of advisors
Align everything to LTV
60% cash, balance of hurdle bonus + performance vesting equity
CEO has lowest salary, but huge upside

11. BUILD A CULT / MAFIA
Company IS a culture, not has one (existential not possessive)
Mission is manifested in the culture - oxygen
Hire talented people you like, no passengers
Hire on mission and team, nothing else
Each hire = 1 unique thing – no competition or overlap
Startups rot from inside – bad foundation can’t be fixed
Fanaticism about something unique not employment agency
Before the startup ID first 5 key hires (5KH)

12. SPECIAL FORCES ONLY -
SHACKLETON RECRUITMENT AD

13. CULTISH MANTRAS –
PEOPLE CHANTS
Wendy's: "Healthy fast food"
Nike: "Authentic athletic performance"
Walt Disney: “Happiest Place on Earth“
Southwest Airlines: “Lowest cost airline”
Federal Express: “Peace of mind”
http://guykawasaki.com/mantras_versus_/

14. WHY BUILD AN
INTERNAL MANTRA?
Mission statements don’t cut it McKinsey + MBAs
Must be real (based on core mission) not made up words
When seas get rough (and they will)…clarity on
alignment of purpose in 2 ways
What next discretionary action adds VALUE?
What next discretionary action adds NOISE?

15. PART 2 - LEADERSHIP
SKILLS AND TOOLS
Mission statements don’t cut it McKinsey + MBAs
Must be real (based on core mission) not made up words
When seas get rough (and they will)…clarity on
alignment of purpose in 2 ways
What next discretionary action adds VALUE?
What next discretionary action adds NOISE?

16. WHY THIS…?
My vision/dream for you:
Become the best CEO / leader
Surround yourself with the best cult (board, advisors
+ employees)
Use tools safely to maximal impact
Achieve your goals and dream!

17. SIX POINT PLAN
POINT ONE: YOU AS LEADER
POINT TWO: SELECTING YOUR TEAM
POINT THREE: WORKING WITH YOUR TEAM
POINT FOUR: SELECTING ADVISORS
POINT FIVE: WORKING WITH ADVISORS
POINT SIX: NETWORKING

18. YOU THE LEADER
POINT ONE: YOU AS LEADER
POINT TWO: SELECTING YOUR TEAM
POINT THREE: WORKING WITH YOUR TEAM
POINT FOUR: SELECTING ADVISORS
POINT FIVE: WORKING WITH ADVISORS
POINT SIX: NETWORKING

19. THE LEADERSHIP SKILL
SET – 16 SKILLS
Leadership is Art + Science
Leader As “Technician” (3)
Leader As “Engager” (8)
Leader As “Artist / Composer / Navigator” (5)

20. LEADER AS TECHNICIAN
Enables Business to Thrive
1. Finance, Cash Flow, Budgeting
2. Logistics and Operations
3. Understanding the Economic Underpinnings

21. LEADER AS ENGAGER
Internal + External Dialogues to Shape Perceptions
4. Negotiation
5. Communication
6. Media relation
7. Dealing with personnel and labour issues
8. Analysis and policy-making
9. Chairing meetings and briefings
10. Performance review / measurement
11. Public speaking

22. LEADER AS ARTIST /
COMPOSER / NAVIGATOR
Assimilates Skills into a Repeatable Template
12. Balance
13. Vision
14. Judgement
15. Leadership
16. Authenticity (>Integrity)

23. SELECTING YOUR TEAM
Select For Authenticity First
Intellect Second
Passion Third
You can always teach or hire the skills
Trust in your team BUT verify [always]
- David Sokol

24. SELECTING YOUR TEAM
Special Forces only for startups
Exceptionalism matters
Zero room for error
BUILD A GREAT FOUNDATION… or fail

25. WORKING WITH YOUR
TEAM
Select For Authenticity First
Intellect Second
Passion Third
You can always teach the skills
Use leadership style tests and personality assessments
SPECIAL FORCES ONLY FOR STARTUPS = NO ROOM
FOR ERROR = GREAT FOUNDATION

26. WORKING WITH YOUR
TEAM
Three tools you can use:
1. BIG 8 TEAMWORK TRAPS
2. T-BAR
3. ATTILLA THE HUN
4. MICROSCOPIC TRUTH

27. WORKING WITH
YOUR TEAM
BIG 8 TEAMWORK TRAPS:
DO I GIVE OR TAKE? Give first
DEADLINES = Commitments
SECONDARY (hidden) AGENDA
PROCRASTINATION (cover)
SPEAK UP TOO LATE – giddy up
WIDE SCREEN – see 7 valleys over
SWIRL – no drama
DO I SUPPORT? Invest in investable, cull others

28. WORKING WITH
YOUR TEAM
THE “T-BAR” Tool
A way to check in on any issue at any time
on any level of significance
Produces unavoidable conclusion
Produces the real issue
Cannot be faked

29. T-BAR TOOL IN ACTION
My Perception of my
Top 5 Goals for Q1
Your Perception of my
Top 5 Goals for Q1?
One for you
One for your boss / leader / colleague

30. WORKING WITH YOUR
TEAM
WHAT ATTILA THE HUN SAYS ABOUT:
Risk taking and working without all the facts
Promising only what you can deliver and
commit to delivering what you promise
Lucky breaks
Leaders disease
Self-inflicted wounds
………and many other topics!

31. WORKING WITH YOUR
TEAM
We never addressed the real issue, never came to
terms with reality” OR “we never stated our
needs or told each other what we were really
thinking”
Microscopic Truth Method
Two General Ways
Fierce Conversations – good and intense
Fireside Chats – good and casual

32. WORKING WITH YOUR
TEAM
7 Principles of Fierce Conversations
Master the courage to interrogate reality
Make it real
Be here, prepared to be nowhere else
Tackle your toughest challenge today
Obey your instincts
Take responsibility for your emotional wake
Let silence do the heavy lifting

33. SELECTING ADVISORS
Advisory Board
Group of independent people that bring business
management acumen, sector and issue expertise to
help coach the management of a company.
Companies with Advisory Boards (BDC Study)
Annual Sales +24%
Sales per Employee +18%

34. SELECTING ADVISORS
First develop a Personal Advisory Board (PAB)
THEN a Board of Advisors!
Define needed skill set first:
marketing finance
technology negotiator
strategist other?

35. SELECTING ADVISORS
Short list 3 for each skill set
Define the top candidates IN THE WORLD!
Don’t settle for second best
Don’t be too humble
INTERVIEW!
Calculate how FAR they can journey with you (baton race)

36. WORKING WITH
ADVISORS
Certain classics have strong content to consider:
Sun Tzu “The Art of War”
Machiavelli “The Prince” (Virtù + Fortuna)
Virtù is what you can control / achieve great things by
bravery, civic humanism, strength and ruthlessness.
Fortuna is luck + what you cannot control (others)
ADAPTATION = SURVIVAL OF FITTEST

37. NETWORKING
The lost art of networking
Improving the yield from networking
Getting to key people at trade shows or conferences
Self-made woman is a baseless myth
People help people, relationships create success, wealth and
durability
Networking is dangerous – beware!

38. THE FINAL TURN
Doing the Small Things Well
Strategic vs Operational Leadership
The SAS

39. STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Leading organizational change
Creating sustainable value for all stakeholders
Analyzing and navigating market ecosystems
Designing and building agile companies
Business model discovery, design and innovation
DO NOW

40. OPERATIONAL
LEADERSHIP
Building excellence in the innovation
Creating customer devotion and retention
Executing with speed, quality, and efficiency (TQM et al)
Strategic partnerships to carry freight
Post-merger integration
DO LATER

41. CULTURE MATTERS
The Only Truly Sustainable Competitive Advantage is Corporate Culture -
George Brandt (Forbes Magazine)
Entrepreneurial culture needs three components:
Mindsets - achievement, individualism, control, focus and optimism
Motivations - self-efficacy, cognitive motivation and tolerance for ambiguity.
Behaviours - confidence, interpersonal skills, social capital and risk
tolerance
Nothing happens without the right kind of LEADER + a united CULT

42. SAS LEADERSHIP
Leader grasp self
Leader grasp team
Team grasp task

43. DID I DELIVER?
Did I have a grasp of myself?
Did I grasp you (the “team”)?
Can you better grasp the tasks ahead?