Founder and CEO of ERG Enterprises. Nationally recognized thought leader on entrepreneurship, investing and leadership.

Diverse Professionalism in a Meeting Discussing a Project Using a Tablet

Who should come first, your customers or employees? For many businesses, this question aptly describes a key challenge. And yet, in my view, it should present an opportunity for growth.

In the early ’90s, Hal Rosenbluth challenged conventional thought with his landmark book, The Customer Comes Second. He called on business leaders to shift their myopic focus from customers to employees, arguably the most underappreciated stakeholder at the time. Yes, customers carry the purse, Rosenbluth argued, but employees make business continuity possible.