"As your business evolves from startup to growth stage, so must your role. You may decide to stay small, especially if you like to do everything yourself, and that's okay. But if you dream of scaling up, you will need an effective CEO. Until you have enough money to bring in someone who can step into that role, that someone needs to be you."
"I learned this the hard way. I once recruited a buttoned-up senior executive from an advisory services firm to help us scale. In the first month, this soon-to-be former employee repeatedly told my team that "everyone knows founders are terrible CEOs" - especially when a decision was made they didn't agree with. They cited research that said mid-to-large-sized companies led by the people who founded them were less productive."
"For most entrepreneurs, your business starts with a strong sense of purpose. Maybe you left the corporate world to be your own boss, or maybe you're a creative thinker who never fit the traditional mold. Regardless of your personal reasons, start thinking about your company in terms of what you want it to accomplish and why. Define how you plan to improve people's lives or make a difference without sacrificing your values."
Business roles must evolve as a company moves from startup to growth stage. Founders who want to scale need to become effective CEOs until they can hire one. Personal change toward effective leadership is gradual, non-linear, and often requires help. Expect imperfect progress and treat leadership development as a growth process with daily improvement. Founders should retain visionary purpose, define company goals, and clarify how the company will improve lives without sacrificing values. Early choices include staying small or pursuing scaling; pursuing scaling demands intentional role transformation and leadership discipline.
Read at Entrepreneur
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