Fast-growth leadership

Fast-growing firms are all about change, but that can also bring serious leadership challenges. Dr Stewart Barnes, ceo and founder of QuoLux, explains how you turn the situation to your advantage.

Every business faces its own leadership challenges. But for growing SMEs these can feel particularly acute. Intense periods of change can leave fast-growing companies ricocheting from one new challenge to another.

There are definite patterns of change; if you recognise what’s happening (or what might be coming next) it’s easier to prepare and take the lead.

It’s often an entrepreneurial spark that ignites a young business, driven by its founders and the small team around them that create something exciting. As output increases or more investment is needed, the informality of the early days needs to move towards more formal management.

That brings new challenges; more delegation is required with the top management needing to ‘let go’ and take on the role of leading. That can be a struggle for those used to being highly directive. Growth continues and that means more people, or more sites, and greater coordination is required.

Systems are put in place. But too many controls and the ‘red tap…