Profit + Growth + Fun = Success
Paul Fioravanti, MBA, MPA, CTP
CEO | Interim CEO/COO/CRO/GM | Growth/Exit Advisor | Operating Partner l Board Member | Transformational Fixer I EBITDA Improvement | Turnaround & Restructuring | Certified Turnaround Professional | American 🇺🇸
A Summary of The Forthcoming Book by Jim Malone and John Hamill
Profit + Growth + Fun = Success: The Leadership Legacy of Jim Malone
Jim Malone wasn’t just a six-time Fortune 500 CEO—he was a force of nature, a turnaround master, and a steward of a leadership philosophy that continues to transform companies.
His posthumous forthcoming book, Profit + Growth + Fun = Success, weaves story with principle, blending boardroom candor, frontline insights, and an unwavering belief in the power of values-based leadership.
At its core lies a deceptively simple formula:
Profit + Growth + Fun = Security
Profit is the fuel. Growth is the future. Fun is the glue. Together, they create security—for customers, employees, shareholders, and communities.
Chapter-by-Chapter Synopsis
Profit, Growth and Fun Introduces the foundational equation and philosophy. Sets the tone for why “security” is the highest outcome of well-led organizations.
Profit, Growth and Fun at Facet A case study on how aligning people and purpose at a struggling company sparked revival and pride.
Growth—Trial by Firing Reflects on how three dismissals became transformational moments of learning, self-awareness, and resilience.
Growth—A Purolator-Pennzoil Postscript Explores challenges during M&A activity and why not all consolidation creates value.
Growth—From Glen Ellyn to Pittsburgh A personal journey of growth—from humble beginnings to national impact—and how hometown values travel far.
Growth—Change for the Worse A cautionary tale on how misapplied technology and overreach can erode a once-proud company.
Growth—Change for the Better Discusses how real change requires shared vision, careful communication, and intentional leadership.
Fun—Is Tougher Better? Investigates the balance between tough leadership and team morale. Spoiler: you can be direct and human.
Profit—Growing at Grimes Aerospace A look at growth under constraints and how discipline, relationships, and grit build profitability.
Fun—Moral, Legal, and Ethical Argues that doing things “right” is more than legal compliance—it’s about moral clarity.
Profit—Sometimes Even Your Best Isn’t Enough When economic realities trump good intentions—how to lead and exit honorably.
Growth and the Peter Principle A commentary on internal promotions, competence gaps, and how to grow leadership from within.
Growth—Getting the Word Out The power of communication, internal and external, to shape outcomes and reputations.
Growth—When All Else Fails Details a company collapse and the human, ethical, and operational toll it took—and how leaders must respond.
Profit—Serving Customers or Serving Yourself Calls out ego-driven leadership and reminds us the business exists to serve, not self-promote.
Profit—Managing for Survival A survival guide for downturns—where clarity, discipline, and communication are the only lifelines.
Profit—When Change Is Required Encourages leaders to embrace uncomfortable truths and make the changes others avoid.
Fun—Making a Difference The book closes with a humanistic call to action—lead not just for outcomes, but for impact.
50 Leadership Lessons from Jim Malone
(All taken directly from the book)
Profit, growth, and fun must coexist—without one, the others suffer.
Security is not an entitlement—it is earned by delivering results.
Always tell the truth early—bad news doesn't age well.
A strong business philosophy outlives any strategy.
If you’re not having some fun, you’re doing it wrong.
People support what they help build.
Organizational change is best made proactively—not in crisis.
Avoid one-off deals; consistency builds trust.
Customer service isn’t just a department—it’s the mission.
Don’t let corporate headquarters grow faster than the field.
You don’t learn to lead from a spreadsheet.
Culture eats policy for breakfast.
Top-down decisions without feedback fail more often.
Listen first; act second.
Bureaucracy is the enemy of progress.
The Peter Principle is real—promotions must match ability.
Results without ethics lead to collapse.
The job of the CEO is to reduce uncertainty.
Turnarounds require humility, not heroics.
Give managers clear goals—and the power to achieve them.
Cost-cutting is not a growth strategy.
Autocracy might look fast—but participative leadership lasts.
Leadership is a privilege, not a perk.
Even your best effort might not be enough—own the outcome anyway.
Growth doesn’t come from structure—it comes from behavior.
Communication breakdowns destroy culture.
Crisis is a leadership amplifier.
The worst time to reinvent is after you've lost relevance.
Empower your teams—or lose them.
The only thing worse than bad news is hiding it.
If fun is absent, so is energy.
You can't fix people—but you can unleash them.
Disrespect is the fastest way to lose talent.
Failure, handled correctly, can build loyalty.
Change without alignment leads to confusion.
Make the hard decisions, even if they’re unpopular.
Pride in the workplace is not optional—it’s vital.
Lead from your values, not your title.
Shortcuts often lead to dead ends.
Staff bloat kills agility.
Hope is not a management plan.
Facts don’t care about how hard you tried.
In acquisitions, people integration is more critical than paperwork.
Growth without systems is a time bomb.
Accountability is a cultural choice.
Recognition is more powerful than reward.
Treat every job like it matters—because it does.
Performance is personal—connect before you correct.
Be present in the business—don’t lead from afar.
You either build a culture or it builds itself—and you may not like what it becomes; Culture is determined by the worst behavior the organization tolerates.
“Philosophy is common sense in a dress suit.”
“Change is the process by which the future invades our lives.”
“Business is like riding a bicycle. Either you keep moving or you fall down.”
“What we learn to do, we learn by doing.”
“Thinking you are totally in control is like an ant on a log thinking he's steering it.”
“We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.”
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”
“In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.”
“A man there was, though some did count him mad, the more he cast away, the more he had.”
Final Word
Jim Malone believed in leading companies the way you’d lead people: with truth, conviction, humanity, and purpose. His book is a leadership toolbox wrapped in storytelling—a manual for anyone who wants to make work more meaningful, profitable, and sustainable.
A Summary of The Forthcoming Book by Jim Malone and John Hamill
Paul Fioravanti, MBA, MPA, CTP, is the CEO & Managing Partner of QORVAL Partners, LLC, a FL-based advisory firm (founded 1996 by Jim Malone, (1942-2021) six-time Fortune 100/500 CEO) Qorval is a US-based growth and exit advisory, turnaround, restructuring, business optimization and interim management firm. Fioravanti is a proven advisor and CEO with experience in more than 90 situations in more than 40 industries. He earned his MBA and MPA from The University of Rhode Island and completed advanced post-master’s research in finance and marketing at Bryant University. He is a Certified Turnaround Professional and member of the Turnaround Management Association, the Private Directors Association, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Association of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&MA), the American Bankruptcy Institute, and IMCUSA. Copyright 2025, Qorval Partners LLC and/or Paul Fioravanti, MBA, MPA, CTP. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution without permission.
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2moGreat synopsis. I’m glad I got to meet Jim. He genuinely cared about people.