THE IBBA’S GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Thankfully, the IBBA has long been guided by what
we refer to as “ENDS.” Essentially these are mission
statements that clearly define our “Why and Who.” In
broad terms, our association exists to equip business
intermediaries with the knowledge, tools, and
resources needed to serve clients with excellence. Our
ultimate goal is to facilitate the successful transfer
of small businesses, thereby contributing to thriving
economies and communities. This purpose is our
constant North Star.
How we accomplish this purpose is our “What” and
where flexibility and adaptability come into play. The
strategies we employ must evolve based on feedback
from our members’ and stakeholders’ developments
within the industry, as well as the resources available
to us. However, while we must be agile in our
approach, we must also remain steadfast in our focus
on the areas where we need to be truly excellent. For
the IBBA, some of these focus areas are Education,
Certification, Engagement, and Awareness.
DEFINING YOUR OWN FOCUS
I encourage everyone, whether leading an
organization or managing one’s own brokerage or
M&A practice, or for that ma�er, oneself, or a general
business, to take the time to define ones’ own “Why,
Who, and What”. Have you wri�en down the core
purpose of your business? Do you know whom you
are here to serve, and what you must do to serve
them effectively? Documenting these elements is an
essential step towards success.
This exercise does not need to be elaborate, or complex.
In many cases, a single page will suffice. At the IBBA, we
have formalized this process through our Governing
Policy Manual which I encourage each of you review
by logging in to the IBBA member portal. Once logged
in, got to the “Quick Links” tab on the top right then
scroll down to the bo�om to “IBBA Governance”. Here,
you can review IBBA Governance webinars, access
related learning resources, and also have access to the
most recent IBBA Governance Policy Manual. Also
to view the Vision manifesto you may go to “About”
>>> “Vision” >>> “Read our full vision”. The Policy
Governance Manual and the Vision manifest serve as a
constant reference point for our decision making. They
are tools we use and return to repeatedly, to ensure that
our actions align with our purpose.
THE CHALLENGE OF FOCUSED LEADERSHIP
While the concepts of defining purpose and focus
may seem straightforward, the reality is that they are
not easy to implement. There are o�en many good
ideas and potential initiatives to choose from, but the
challenge is identifying those that best align with the
organization’s core purpose. This challenge is captured
well in the popular saying, “Good is the enemy of Great.”
In practice, achieving our goals is more o�en the
result of making the right choices among many good
options, than that of avoiding obviously bad ones.
As individuals, and as organizations, we must decide
what we will be excellent at, and then maintain a laser
focus on those activities. This requires the boldness to
reject initiatives that do not align even if, they appear
beneficial in the short term.
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR