The People, Performance, and Process trio—All for one, and one for all, just like the 3 Musketeers. (One of my favorite candy bars as a kid – now a perfect metaphor for how growth really happens.)
The Real Growth Formula: People. Performance. Process.
In my years leading Outside Sales, Inside Sales, and Marketing from the executive level, I’ve had the rare opportunity to operate on both ends of the spectrum—inside billion-dollar healthcare enterprises with layers of structure and bureaucracy, and inside zero-to-one startups where there was nothing but an idea and a need to execute fast.
And through that range of experience, one truth has held up every time:
Sustainable growth comes from getting the intersection of People, Performance, and Process right.
It sounds simple, but it’s anything but.
As someone whose favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, I can’t help but think of this trio like The Three Musketeers:
People, Performance, and Process—All for one, and one for all.
Each element is powerful on its own, but when they operate in unison, they create a force that’s unstoppable. Miss one, and your growth strategy falls apart. Get them all right, and you have a scalable, high-performing engine with culture at its core.
Process: Lean, Not Overbuilt
In large enterprises, process often becomes the product—slowing decision-making and innovation. In early-stage startups, the absence of process can lead to chaos and burnout.
That’s why I champion what I call Lean Process: the least amount of process required to deliver results and enable scale. Anything more introduces friction. Anything less creates risk.
But here’s the tension—you can’t get so caught up in designing process that you forget to deliver outcomes. You need to ensure near-term results are being delivered even as you build the long-term organizational structure. Leaders must be prepared to build and fly the plane at the same time.
Performance: Clarity Over Complexity
It starts with discipline. You have to put in the hard work—the number crunching, the cleanup, the validation—to ensure your data is reliable and robust. But even then, it’s not about having the most dashboards. It’s about identifying which metrics truly matter—the ones that tell the story of where your business is, why it’s performing the way it is, and what needs to change to get it where it needs to go.
From there, performance management becomes a strategic advantage—not just a reporting function.
Because at the executive level, interpreting performance data is both art and science. You need to connect data with instinct, context with experience, and metrics with meaning. That’s when data becomes actionable—and growth becomes intentional.
People: Always the Priority
No matter how strong your strategy or how clean your process, it won’t go far without the right people—and leadership that brings out their best.
People-First Leadership is about more than supporting execution—it’s about creating a shared vision and shared values that shape how your team collaborates and makes decisions.
It’s not just about setting goals. It’s about building alignment. When people understand the “why,” and feel trusted and empowered, they take ownership.
As Simon Sinek puts it:
“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.”
And as Peter Duflo, CEO & Founder of SV Executive Search, emphasizes:
“In every high-growth MSP we support, the common denominator is clear: exceptional outcomes start with exceptional people. But it’s not just about finding top talent—it’s about aligning that talent with the company’s culture, stage, and strategy. The right leadership team doesn’t just execute the plan—they elevate it.”
That’s the difference maker. It’s servant leadership in action: removing friction, providing the right tools, and fostering a foundation of trust.
Because in the end, a positive, empowering culture trumps everything. When people are aligned and supported, performance accelerates—and process becomes a multiplier, not a constraint.
The CEO Reality
If you’re leading a technology company, you already know: this balance is tough.
You’re building systems while chasing outcomes.
You’re relying on data but still making gut calls.
You’re scaling the team while preserving culture.
Getting People, Performance, and Process right isn’t a one-time initiative—it’s the ongoing challenge of growth-stage leadership.
As CEO David Shimoni puts it:
“Having led two MSPs as CEO, I’ve seen firsthand how aligning People, Performance, and Process is essential for successfully executing a growth strategy. A well-structured process provides the framework for employees to drive results against key valuation metrics. When paired with a strong corporate culture that fosters accountability and a commitment to service quality, it creates a high-performing organization—one that outpaces industry growth rates and achieves exceptional EBITDA margin expansion.”
It’s where I’ve spent my career. And it’s where I help companies win.
“After our MSP was acquired, we needed to completely overhaul our GTM strategy and performance. Amy brought structure, clarity, and momentum—but what stood out even more was how naturally she fit into our leadership team. Her unique mix of strategic insight and down-to-earth style made her feel like a true partner from day one.”
— VP of Sales & Marketing, National MSP
💬 How are you balancing these priorities in your business? What’s working—and what still needs tuning?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the spirit of people-first, I’m excited to share that I’ve joined the Advisory Team at SV Executive Search—a firm known for helping MSPs and IT services companies build high-impact leadership teams that drive growth.
If you’re a founder, operator, or investor in the IT services industry, check out SV’s Advisory Team to learn more about how we are working together to move the industry forward: Specialized MSP Executive Search Consultants | Expert Hiring
