First Rule of M&A: Look at the People, Not the Numbers

In this edition of our Corporate Competitor Podcast, RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos sat down with longtime Sports Illustrated Associate Editor Don Yaeger to discuss how running track and his SWAT experience shaped his leadership.

The corporate numbers for RE/MAX are so impressive it’s hard not to become transfixed by them. The firm is one of the largest publicly traded real estate companies in the world with 135,000 agents operating in 110 countries.

In recent years, RE/MAX has acquired several technology companies in an effort to provide the processing power needed to achieve global success, earning its CEO Adam Contos the 2020 American Business Award, one of the premier business awards programs in the United States, the title: Maverick of the Year.

By all measures, his company is growing, so why does Contos insist on focusing so hard on discipline and culture in his company? The answer to this question forms the backdrop for a fascinating podcast in which business leaders will learn, among other things, why it is important to:

• Prioritize people over processes;

• Embrace the pain of discipline over the pain of regret;

• Use success as a stepping stone; and

• Recruit people to fit your culture.

As an award-winning leader in an industry well-represented by women, the ex-Marine and former SWAT team captain comes as close as anybody possibly could to explaining how he went from kicking in doors, blowing things up, and saving people, to breaking down barriers, blowing up conventional thinking, and helping as many people as possible achieve success.

Have a listen!

YOU WILL LEARN:

5:00   How to distinguish what you can control.

6:00   How to lead from the front.

12:30  How to use success as a stepping stone.

18:30  How to recruit people to FIT your culture.

24:00  The difference between a Super Bowl team and a Pro Bowl team in business.

Check out the full Corporate Competitor Podcast interview archive and subscribe to new episodes.


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