The skills necessary for leadership in a start-up phase versus a growth phase differs significantly. If you’re in the growth stage and wonder why you have more turnover than you did in the start up phase, you may be primarily apply a visionary entrepreneur leadership style that is no longer working.
In the start-up phase, the primary goal is to establish a strong foundation and create a viable business model. This often looks like lofty goals, long hours, and the go-to person for decision making. Employees also work along side the founder.
In contrast, the growth phase is focused on expanding operations and scaling the business. The new skill is working with and through others, engaging and enrolling others, and putting in accountability systems. It’s important as a growth-stage leader that you don’t insert yourself into something you delegated (only to mess it up) leaving your team feeling that they can’t be trusted. On the flip side, delegating so much and never checking in that they don’t feel supported or have a place to go for coaching.
Here are some of the key competencies that are necessary for leadership in each phase. I invite you to consider which of these competencies might be missing in the phase that you’re in:
Leadership competencies for start-up phase:
Visionary thinking: The ability to envision the future of the company and create a clear roadmap for achieving long-term goals.
Adaptability: The capacity to quickly pivot and adjust the business model.
Risk-taking: The willingness to take calculated risks to drive growth and seize new opportunities.
Flexibility: The ability to wear multiple hats and adapt to the evolving needs of the organization.
Resourcefulness: The skill to effectively leverage limited resources and build a sustainable business with limited capital.
In the start-up phase, you’re also doing double duty by working in the business. As your company expands, you will hire a team but are still the go-to person.
As your team becomes experts in their roles, it is necessary for you, as the leader, to learn new competencies and level up your personal development for the growth phase. If you continually insert yourself into the business because you’re concerned about what you’ll do with your time now that your team is handling the operations, it’s time to level up.
Leadership competencies for the growth and scaling phase include:
Strategic thinking: As your team handles the daily operations, you keep your eye on the market indicators, look for trends that may impact your business, and identify ways to expand using the existing resources.
Operational excellence: The skill to optimize processes, systems, and resources to maximize efficiency and profitability. This includes making sure your team has the training they need to level up. This is where Goal setting, Meeting Mastery, Performance
Management Systems, and having an Existence Systems in place are critical. Your team handles the details and you no longer know how to do each and every position in the company, that’s why you hire others.
Talent management: The ability to attract, retain, and develop top talent to support the company’s growth. The skills of engagement and enrollment are more critical than ever in the growth phase. As a leader, it’s critical to not only communicate the strategic direction, but connect the ways each position impacts the company goals. You create a culture where your talent thrives.
Communication: The capacity to effectively communicate the vision, mission, and goals of the company to all stakeholders. As your company expands, your communication should be reinforcing and re-enrolling the team in the company’s greater Contribution in the World. Quarterly State of the Company Address, regular performance feedback, and celebrating successes are critical at this stage.
Leadership development: The skill to build a strong leadership team and foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Developing leaders should not only be focused at the senior leadership team, but building bench strength in the company. Leaders should also be increasing their personal awareness, which is crucial to leadership effectiveness.
In summary, the competencies necessary for leadership in a start-up versus a growth phase differ depending on the priorities of the organization. Successful leaders in both phases must be adaptable, flexible, and able to effectively manage resources, but those in the growth phase must also possess strategic thinking, talent management, personal awareness, and communication skills to take their organization to the next level.
Invitation to Level Up Your Leadership and Scale Your Business
If you are inspired to scale your business and expand your capacity as a leader, I invite you to our Wake Up Profitable Boot Camp on April 25-26, 2023.
The first step is mastering your inner entrepreneur. You will experience a fundamental shift in your thinking about how to scale. You will walk through our Entrepreneurial Edge System, a systems approach to building a profitable and resilient business model.
You will start connecting areas of your business, expand opportunities to generate revenue, systematize your business for greater freedom, and tap into resources you already have but haven’t used. A systems approach has you create possibilities and design a pathway to achieving them.
As soon as you register, we’ll schedule a Private one-on-one session so that you’re walking into the boot camp already making progress. Register today, take your human wiring assessment, and start the road to scaling with greater leadership and ease at https://www.excellerateassociates.com/wake-up-profitable-boot-camp.
Many of the core issues that face business professionals today have to do with people. In particular, how do you effectively communicate with your clients or customers and give them what they innately need?
Wiring Matters! Be Extraordinary When Communicating With Others 
