As the CEO of a fast-growing business, Michael faces the challenge of scaling up to meet the expected demand for their products. He is mindful that scaling the business is as much a leadership challenge as it is a business challenge. He knows he needs to step up his leadership if he is to expect more from his team.
He learned important lessons from his early role models. Their success in running large-scale businesses showed him to put people first by being connected and respectful of the individuals on the team. It has taken a while, but he has finally realised that it’s not about him! He sees humility as an important part of his personal development as he reassesses what is important.
His new mantra has become “How can I help you do that?” His growing philosophy of leadership is more about enabling and helping his team. He has found it is important to give people a sense of worth; that they know what they are doing matters.
As Michael steps up his leadership, he can insist he does not tolerate inflated egos in the business. He says, “I can take humility into how I engage with people in the company and those outside. I think it is something I would not have thought about four or five years ago.”
In the book “Good to Great” Jim Collins described a kind of leader who is incredibly ambitious, but their ambition is primarily for the cause, for the organisation and its purpose, not themselves. He and his research team completed a five-year project to determine what it takes to change a good company into a great one. Only eleven made the very tough cut.
What was remarkable was that in each of those eleven, all of them had what he called “Level 5 leadership” in key positions, including the CEO, at the pivotal time of transition.
Here is a summary of the qualities of a Level 5 leader below. 👇🏽
🙋 What does it take to scale up in your experience? 🙋
Best Regards, Brian
