Our Manifesto
Here is our Manifesto that we have learnt and imbibed over the years that has gotten us the success and now preach to pass it on to you!
Level 5 leadership It’s about us, not me.
We must focus on building an enduring organisation rather than obtaining personal benefit. Leadership is about all of us at UAbility (the people) — upgrading and coaching everybody, injecting energy, living and breathing the vision, trusting each other, and candoring our relationships; and celebrating wins together! Leadership will maintain personal humility and make decisions based on what’s best for the team and the clients.
A-team > thousands of B players in a group
Great companies have great teams and we at UAbility hold a high bar of excellence. We believe in hiring slow, firing fast, and putting our best people on our biggest opportunities.
Confront brutal facts habitually
We lead with questions and not answers:
- We debate openly using data and not politics
- We conduct autopsies after making mistakes rather than blaming others
- We have a red flag mechanism (3 flags) for those not adhering
Singular focus
We ONLY do things we are passionate about
- Helping entrepreneurs get clients globally
- Declutter their businesses
- Realise more profitability
- Supply organisations with the right talent pool
We ONLY do things that drives the economic engine
- Generating calls
- Doing calls
- Closing deals
We ONLY do things where we can be the best in the world
- Helping entrepreneurs from developing countries get clients.
We refuse to do anything outside the above sweet spot.
Compounding effect
- Generate calls, do calls, close deals, add customers, get feedback, improve experience, repeat.
- We get feedback at each step and improve.
- We grow the snowball by improving the above and doing the boring work.
Fanatic discipline
- No matter what happens, we will aim to grow at 20% per year minimum. We will achieve this minimum standard consistently irrespective of the circumstances of the economy.
- Our discipline and minimum standards will keep us consistent and in the game. Also, 20% is a reasonable minimum goal that we can measure.
Test aggressively
We make many small bets (low cost, low risk, low distraction) in promising ideas, empirically discover what worked, and then invest heavily in the winners.
Productive Paranoia
We classify risk in three terms and prepare for them vigilantly
- death-line risk (situations that could kill the business)
- asymmetric risk (where downside is much greater than upside)
- uncontrollable risk (which can’t be managed).
We constantly zoom in and out in various areas of our business to observe the same constantly and then make the necessary changes to our plan based on the change in circumstances.
Specific, Methodical, and Consistent
We will stick to each element of our recipe for decades (changing only 15% of the elements over 15-years).
Specific, Methodical, and Consistent
We will stick to each element of our recipe for decades (changing only 15% of the elements over 15-years).
A great example of a company adhering to this principle would be Apple who doesn't immediately install a new technology in their product-line unless it has already been battle-tested in the market by competitors. Once the proof of concept has been established, Apple unleashes a bazuka that ends up capturing the whole market share.
Maximising per-share value of the Company
Capital allocation will be done on activities that produce a minimum 20% return on investment after tax.
We will produce high cash flow and then deploy that cashflow on higher return activities. Maximize cash flow and shareholder returns.
Institution over product
Our focus should be on the entire institution that can constantly produce excellent products rather than just a single product.
Example - Amazon, Kindle, AWS (to save their hosting) etc.
Home-grown management
We will produce high cash flow and then deploy that cashflow on higher return activities. Maximize cash flow and shareholder returns.
Good enough never is
We are focused on long-term goals, but our short-term results still are excellent. There is no inherent tradeoff between the two.
Today’s results arrived from yesterday’s efforts.
Over communicate clarity
We all are each other’s Chief Reminding Officers. Once the goals are set, we must remind ourselves about the same regularly till the time the targets are realised.
Bias for action
The burden of proof is on the one who argues an idea won’t work, not the one who believes it will.
Example — We do not do meetings until we can formulate a defined action-plan at the end of the same.
Close to the customer
We have a near obsession with service, quality, and listening to the end user.
We imagine it as if we are hosting a big dinner party and have invited the most important people on earth. We treat each client the same way we would treat our guests at the party.
Autonomy and entrepreneurship
Innovative ideas are championed not only by individual product zealots, but also by a senior manager who can push them forward. Well-intentioned failure is more than tolerated.
Simple form, lean staff
Our organisational structure is stable, but can be broken if needed. Business units are small and entrepreneurial. Each held accountable to its own board.
Proud but never satisfied
Our past success should not be viewed as an entitlement.
Focus on understanding the environment, doing specific things in response, learning, and consistently improving.
We are not entitled to nothing and everything can be taken away from us in a single blink. Therefore, we must stay focused on growing the flywheel consistently by improving.
Saying goodbye
There will be no surprises as the performance gap would be evident on the data sheet and sufficient opportunity period would be given to improve. Nobody will be humiliated in this company.
No room for culture-f**k*rs.
Everyone must pass the test of Integrity, Intelligence, Maturity and Culture.
People who value results over stability
Senior roles — Authenticity, vision, resilience, and those who surround themselves with people smarter than they are.
HR — Half-pastor-half parent types
Marketing — Young data scientists
Sales — Young hungry people who love to talk with problem-solving ability.
Coach — Problem solving ability and t-shaped generalist.
What to do when things go wrong?
During tough times, we respond by refocusing on the disciples that made us great in the first place, slowly accumulating enough small wins to restore momentum and faith in the team. Our core values always help us recover.
Remember, we will survive and be strong. We always have.
Competition is for losers
We are here to be #1 and play the long-term game.
Always focus on improving
We must try to beat last year’s performance and the competition.
Our competition is us.
Are you ready to Become #1?
Kick-start your journey with this power-packed 30min video on how to grow any coaching, consulting, or service business fast.
