
How effective leadership can navigate a business through crises during periods of rapid growth.
As businesses grow rapidly, employees often face the unsettling feeling of uncertainty and they fear the business is in a state of crisis. When systems, procedures, and cultures change at a fast pace, fear can quickly take root, especially if the growth feels chaotic or disorganized. This can lead to confusion, disengagement, and resistance.
The Scaling Up growth model helps businesses maintain focus and alignment while expanding quickly. By incorporating 6 key principles, leaders can foster an environment of clarity, stability, and motivation amidst growth.
1. Clarify Your Core Values and Core Purpose
As companies scale, it’s easy for employees to lose sight of the larger Core Purpose of the company, especially when change is happening rapidly. One of the foundational principles of Scaling Up is the importance of having a clear, well-communicated vision and a set of core values that guide decision-making and company culture.
- Revisit the Company’s Core Purpose: Ensure that all employees understand why the company exists. This gives employees something to believe in.
- Reinforce Core Values: Employees need to know that the company’s values remain constant, even as structures and processes change. These values should be the foundation of every decision, whether it’s hiring, expanding, or introducing new systems. Leaders should continuously reinforce how these values guide the transformation and how each employee contributes to them.
By staying true to the company’s purpose and values, leaders can help employees feel connected to a larger journey, which alleviates the fear that comes with the unknown.
2. Set Clear Priorities with the One-Page Strategic Plan
Rapid growth can make priorities feel fragmented or unclear, which increases anxiety among employees. The Scaling Up methodology emphasizes the importance of a One-Page Strategic Plan, a simple yet powerful tool for aligning the entire organization toward a single, unified set of priorities.
- Communicate key priorities: By focusing on a few critical priorities each quarter, leaders provide employees with clarity on where to focus their energy. This ensures everyone is aligned and the team knows which initiatives matter most.
- Link the individual to the whole: Help employees see how their role and actions contribute to the larger goals. When they understand their impact, the fear of change diminishes because employees feel they are part of something meaningful and bigger than just their daily tasks.
By using a clear strategic framework, employees can better understand how they fit into the rapidly growing organization and how to navigate any new changes.
3. Strengthen the Team with the Right People in the Right Seats
One of the most common sources of fear during periods of growth is role ambiguity. As companies scale, team members often experience a shift in responsibilities, new leaders emerge, and team dynamics change. In Scaling Up, Verne Harnish refers to Jim Collins’ metaphor from Good to Great, getting the right people on the bus (and in the right seats)—ensuring that employees are in positions where their skills are maximized and they feel confident in their roles.
- Assess roles regularly: Evaluate if each team member is in the best position to thrive and contribute to the company’s growth. If not, adjust early on. This helps employees feel secure in their roles, knowing that their strengths are being leveraged effectively.
- Promote transparency in team structure: As the business evolves, make sure that the team structure is clear. Define new roles and responsibilities, what the role is accountable for, clarify reporting lines, and define the scope of authority. Frequent communication about changes in team dynamics helps employees adjust to new expectations without feeling overwhelmed or confused.
By ensuring that employees are in roles that align with their strengths, leaders can minimize fears about job security and help employees embrace change with confidence.
4. Develop a Strong Meeting Rhythm for Consistency
As a company grows, maintaining intentional, consistent communication across teams becomes essential for alignment and morale. Scaling Up stresses the importance of having a structured meeting rhythm at all levels of the organization—whether it’s daily huddles, weekly team meetings, or monthly leadership meetings. This rhythm provides predictability and clarity during times of change.
- Hold regular meetings: Make sure leaders regularly check in with teams to provide updates, clarify goals, and address any concerns. Whether it’s a short daily huddle, one-on-one, or a weekly team meeting, consistency in communication reduces uncertainty and keeps everyone aligned.
- Ensure all teams are aligned: Leaders should schedule cross-functional meetings to ensure that departments or teams who may be experiencing different facets of growth are still working toward shared goals. This alignment fosters a sense of stability and collaboration during periods of rapid change.
A well-maintained meeting rhythm helps create a predictable environment where employees know when and how they’ll receive information, reducing the fear of being left in the dark.
5. Focus on Financial Stability
One of the core principles of Scaling Up is discipline and the activities needed to manage cash. The fear that comes with rapid change often stems from concerns about the financial stability of the business. Employees may worry about the sustainability of growth, especially if they perceive it as being poorly managed or overly aggressive.
- Emphasize financial transparency: Share the company’s financial health and key performance indicators (KPIs) with employees. Transparency about revenue, costs, profits, and cash flow ensures that the team understands the company’s stability, which can alleviate anxiety.
- Set measurable goals: Align financial goals and metrics with the company’s growth objectives. By setting clear, measurable targets, leaders can help employees understand the progress being made toward sustainable growth.
When employees are aware of the company’s financial health and understand the key metrics that drive the business, they are less likely to fear change and more likely to see it as a natural part of the company’s journey.
6. Encourage a Culture of Continuous Improvement Through Feedback
As businesses grow, the temptation to “just keep going” without reassessing and improving processes can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction by employees. By embedding a culture of continuous improvement, leaders can ensure that their teams remain flexible and empowered during growth.
- Commit to regular reflection: Hold regular sessions to assess what’s working and what’s not. Use feedback from employees to refine processes, systems, and team dynamics. This sense of continuous improvement encourages employees to embrace change rather than fear it.
- Celebrate progress: As changes are implemented, celebrate the milestones along the way. Recognizing progress, no matter how small, boosts morale and reinforces the idea that growth is something to be proud of.
A culture of continuous improvement helps employees see change as a positive force for growth, rather than a threat to stability.
Final Thoughts
Leading employees through the fear of change during periods of rapid growth requires a thoughtful, structured approach. By incorporating the Scaling Up principles—clear purpose, strategic alignment, the right people in the right roles, consistent communication, financial transparency, and a culture of continuous improvement—leaders can create a sense of stability, clarity, and confidence among employees.
Rapid growth can be an exciting and rewarding journey, but only when employees feel informed, supported, and empowered to embrace change. With these strategies in place, leaders can help their teams not only survive rapid growth but thrive in it and see growth as opportunity, not crisis.