Scaling a business isn’t always fun. Sometimes it’s downright painful. Struggling founders wonder, “Do all founders feel like this? What am I doing wrong? What should I be doing differently?” At the beginning of the scaling journey, the “people stuff” isn’t urgent. The team is small. …

If leadership isn’t about dangling a carrot or waving a stick, what does it mean to lead? Forget about using positional power to control the team or leveraging external motivation to incentivize behaviour. Doing so might deliver short-term results but the long-term impact will be disengagement and high turn-over. FROM…

Successful entrepreneurs have an unquenchable need to build–products, services, relationships, businesses.. The opportunity to innovate feels magical. New opportunities show up everywhere. As the founder of your own business, how do you decide which opportunities to chase and which ones to put on pause? Rapid opportunity spotting has some unpleasant…

As the leader of your company, you have a clear vision for what’s next. You’re a master at transforming ideas into reality. You move at lightning speed, driven by a deep desire to bring industry-changing innovations to life. While others are sipping eggnog and recovering from food-induced festive comas, you’re…

Every organization need a proverbial ‘pecking order’ right? That’s how it’s always been and always will be. Take a moment to go back and read those two sentences again. How do they sit with you? They don’t leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, do they? …

There’s a dangerous dynamic I’ve seen play out in many start-ups led by founders in their 20s and 30s. The consequences range from mild to catastrophic, from wasting time and burning through valuable resources through to sinking the business. Here’s an all too familiar metaphor. The proverbial ship pulls up…

As a seasoned executive, you’ve been yearning for something different. Joining an early-stage start-up after years in a stifling corporate environment can be exhilarating. You’re buzzing, because you know your experience will impact and propel the organization to new heights. The idea of getting involved in a start-up…

We want it all. We like the idea of flat organizations with proactive and self-managing team members who lead together, but we also covet titles that convey awe-inspiring prestige and position. What’s a team to do? Employee disengagement is climbing, with studies indicating that 85% of team members rate themselves…

Has it already been a year since the last one? You make your way to a small meeting room. You find your colleague nervously watching the clock, waiting for your arrival. They nod as you list their shortcomings. You pepper in praise in hopes you don’t come off as a…