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Growth CEO Interviews

Interview with Salim Ismail, Exponential Organizations Author

November 13, 2023

Sal­im Ismail is one of the lead­ing thinkers on how orga­ni­za­tions scale in a world where tech­nol­o­gy is mov­ing expo­nen­tial­ly. As the best­selling author of Expo­nen­tial Orga­ni­za­tions and Expo­nen­tial Trans­for­ma­tion—and the found­ing Exec­u­tive Direc­tor of Sin­gu­lar­i­ty Uni­ver­si­ty — Sal­im has spent the past two decades build­ing and advis­ing dis­rup­tive com­pa­nies, includ­ing ven­tures acquired by Google.

This inter­view explores the updat­ed ideas in Expo­nen­tial Orga­ni­za­tions 2.0 and the prac­ti­cal frame­work behind the EXO mod­el: the core prin­ci­ples used by fast-scal­ing orga­ni­za­tions to grow with speed, lever­age, and adapt­abil­i­ty — with­out the drag of tra­di­tion­al struc­tures. The con­ver­sa­tion also dives into what’s chang­ing right now as AI reshapes how com­pa­nies inno­vate, oper­ate, and com­pete, includ­ing what lead­ers can do to build a more future-ready organization.

Here are some high­lights cap­tured in clips:

AI and the Cost of Doing Business
For­tune 100s
What is Crit­i­cal to an Organization
Or watch the full inter­view here:
Addi­tion­al Resources Relat­ed to the Interview:

About Lawrence & Co.
Lawrence & Co. is a growth strategy and leadership advisory firm that helps mid-market companies achieve lasting, reliable growth. Our Growth Management System turns 30 years of experience into practical steps that drive clarity, alignment, and performance—so leaders can grow faster, with less friction, and greater confidence.

About Kevin Lawrence
Kevin Lawrence has spent three decades helping companies scale from tens of millions to hundreds of millions in revenue. He works side-by-side with CEOs and leadership teams across North America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and Europe, bringing real-world insights from hands-on experience. Kevin is the author of Your Oxygen Mask First, a book of 17 habits to help high-performing leaders grow sustainably while protecting their mental health and resilience. He also contributed to Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0). Based in Vancouver, he leads Lawrence & Co, a boutique firm of growth advisors.