What do you do if your startup needs effective leadership to succeed?

In my experience, every startup has a passionate leader / founder. The challenge becomes the maturity to manage that passion with real world pragmatic management of the organization. The real successful startups are those where the founder or their advisers recognize the challenge of adpting from startup up to more meaningful leadership and collectively put thsi in place. The disasters are when the founder is blind to their own blind spots

Assessing needs is a key part of building effective leadership development. Asking questions like - what the business needs to succeed (e.g. growth, expansion, etc) is a first step. What kind of leaders does this environment need e.g. a leader with strong strategic thinking skills - will need development accordingly.

"We have a flat organization here; we don't need managers". I've heard similar things shared a number of times over the past decade. And while it's a proud statement, it almost always falls flat. From a certain size of the startup, organization just requires some span breakers to manage complexity. And for me personally, the real differentiation is not whether we should have managers or not, but whether our managers are actually any good. A good span of control is always somewhere in between five to eight people. And when a startup grows to the size of a dozen or two, it's actually a good idea to sit down and create what good managing looks like in our organization and then fill a role. It's an enabler for growth and culture.

First understand and define what “effective leadership” looks like for your organization. Does your organization need to drive change? Does your organization need to change or improve its culture? The assessment of organizational needs will help determine the leadership you may need at that time.

If your startup needs effective leadership to succeed, focus on developing strong communication channels, fostering a positive company culture, and investing in continuous learning and development for your team. Emphasize transparency, encourage innovation, and lead by example to inspire trust and motivation. Seek mentorship from experienced leaders, leverage networking opportunities, and stay adaptable to market changes. Remember Steve Jobs' words, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower," highlighting the importance of creativity and forward-thinking in leadership. Prioritize collaboration, empower your employees, and adapt your leadership style to suit the evolving needs of your startup.

Mentors, the fresh maker. Way better than mentos because the freshness will last. The best way to get to the top of the mountain is to listen to the people who have climbed it multiple times. Same thing with start ups.

Mentors are amazing but don't forget they aren't there to solve your problems. Try to create meaningful relationships with people that can help you see just beyond the problem you have and into the issues that are causing it. Being a mentor is a big responsibility and many talented people are solicited daily for their advice. Take your time and make the right connections.

Identifying and engaging with seasoned professionals who have a successful track record within your industry can be game-changing. They can provide you with invaluable guidance, share insights on overcoming similar challenges you may face, and give you constructive feedback that can refine your leadership approach. What's more, it's an excellent way to expand your professional network, unlock new opportunities, and access resources for your startup. This simple yet effective strategy has helped me streamline my leadership approach and broaden my professional horizons. Give it a try, and let me know how it works for you! Remember, success lies in continuous learning and networking.

In my experience, if a startup needs strong leadership, investing in training programs that focus on building relationships and effective communication is key. These programs can teach leaders how to connect better with their teams, solve problems together, and drive the startup towards success. Strong leadership is about more than just making decisions; it's about building a team that trusts and supports each other. If your startup is looking for ways to improve leadership, let's talk about how the right training can make all the difference.

I agree that formal training programs can be beneficial, but they aren't a magic wand. In a world where we look for quick fixes and convenience, being properly trained takes time and patience. Make sure you WANT to be trained and dedicate the time necessary to truly absorb the teachings.

Training programs are essential for skills and executive judgment development. We are living in unprecedented times where the workforce will have more than 20 transitions within a lifetime according to Strada Institute for the Future of Work. Training will have to be part of our lives if we want to remain relevant. Understanding that we no longer will be able to look at targeted training as an option and more of as a requirement to contribute meaningfully is key so that we can create a training plan for our work life.

Startup founders have the great privilege (and responsibility) to shape the company's culture based on their values. Cultivating impactful cultural goals in a leadership-dependent startup requires a paradoxical embrace. First, embed values that foster autonomy and ownership and empower teams. Simultaneously, weave goals that elevate transparency and feedback loops, ensuring alignment with the leader's vision. This dance between empowered action and unified direction fosters a culture ripe for effective leadership to flourish, not dictate. And if you feel brave, explore the Teal organizational Framework described by Frederic Laloux in his book "reinventing Organizations."

Culture is usually a byproduct of a leaders personality. Culture cannot be forced. It will take shape with the proper hires and initiatives. Trying to make changes to culture to improve productivity are obvious. "Oh yay, if I hit my goal I don't have to work on Fridays". That is not a culture change. You going to get therapy to figure out your anger issues will change culture faster than some hot idea of the month.

In my experience working with startups, there is a fear of losing the collaborative, hands-on camaraderie and scrappiness that made their start-up an incredible place to work for the ones who build it. My advice based on experience is to engage in a collaborative effort to craft the vision, mission, values, and team contract together as an exercise of solidifying the part of the culture that is so valuable and defining the aspirational part of the culture that is needed to move to the next level. That way you can make sure you are intentionally building a culture that will help and support the achievement of your goals and vision.

Empowering your team is a requirement, not a choice for a successful business. Scaring people into working makes you part of the problem. Learn to coach your team to work in ways that you know are successful based on your experiences and values. Celebrate A LOT of wins and opening discuss the losses as an opportunity to learn. Take responsibility for your teams failures.

Exactly one year ago, I started my journey of empowering teams. So, here's my year of team empowerment wrapped: > Delegating responsibilities and trusting my team to perform. > Encouraging autonomy to make key decisions. > Offering chances to lead projects and tasks. > Observing the blossoming of their own leadership skills. > Cultivating a sense of ownership within the team. > Witnessing the commitment towards the startup's success. > Celebrating the growth, both personal and collective, over the past year. This journey of empowering my team will always be special.

Create a benchmark on the personalities, preferences, styles and strengths of each member of the team. Use tools such as The Predictive Index (PI). Though the strengths of PI shine at over 20 employees, we use other assessments to provide individual insights. Then layer with an understanding of wiifm, styles, and choices. I've worked with new tech companies to identify leadership skill, strategy, and business acumen gaps, resulting in a personalized & group development program comprised of hard and soft skills coupled with coaching and strategy development, typically over a 6 month period. It's also important for startups to remember that the skill set that 'got you here', won't "get you there'! So make this a continuous process.

Honest reflection of what is working and what is not. Go back to the drawing board to figure out the aims and objectives, the actions needed to get there, the type of leadership needed, the team needed, the action plan and make sure to support the development.