Our Head of Research, Naomi McGuiness spoke to Business Eye recently on the importance of the right leadership for scaling companies, read the article below.
Scaling Smart: Securing the Right Leaders for Business Success
Scaling a company is a critical phase for any organisation regardless of industry, size or years in existence. Naomi McGuinness, Head of Research at Narratology Executive Search, discusses the importance of having the right leaders to drive growth and evolution.
Organisational growth comes in many forms – from establishing a new division or location, launching a new service or product, through a merger or acquisition or indeed through successful organic growth. Whether growth is intentional or not, it changes a company. Executive leaders suddenly have more business, more products and more people in their remit - as well as the integration, re-organisation and transformation growth might bring. Previous business processes, customer demographics and perhaps even current leaders may no longer align with what is required for this new season. And with this growth, the culture and values on which the organisation was established and thrived, may not be reflected or protected.
We often hear the phrase “what got us here will not get us there.” Just as organisations understand that the strategies that propelled them to their current success won’t be enough for future growth, existing leadership teams may not be enough to drive or support it. At this critical stage, companies need to truly evaluate their top talent and any gaps scaling might bring.
Know the gaps
Organisations should have a clear picture of the skillsets they require to drive and deliver growth. Apparent gaps might require the creation of an entirely new position, elevation of a current position and, if integrating, the amalgamation of roles and transfer of skills. What’s equally (if not more) important is having leaders with a growth mindset – individuals who can drive a company forward, who balance agility with control and who prioritise decision making over bureaucracy. At Narratology we shape senior teams to ensure the right leaders are in the right place at the right time.
“Just as organisations understand that the strategies that propelled them to their current success won’t be enough for future growth, existing leadership teams may not be enough to drive or support it.”
Grow your own talent
Growth relies immensely on figureheads who break ground in innovation or who realise ambitious strategies with commercial success - but who excel as people leaders. Connecting, inspiring and developing teams, in particular during fast-paced growth is essential. Such talent may already be present in the organisation albeit not yet at leadership level. In shaping a leadership team we assess existing skillsets and future talent against pressing gaps and can provide short to medium term solutions over a development period to safeguard against over-promotion.
Know your market
It’s impossible to accurately plan growth without knowing current and future talent market availability. Narratology has extensive experience working not only with scaling companies but supporting clients preparing for succession planning at mid and senior management level, decision making on organisational design and requiring guidance on the intricacies of a new market before hiring. Our discreet research assignments combine extensive market knowledge, broad networks and an expert research resource to provide our clients with valuable insights – and often reassurance – prior to action.
Appoint the right leaders
Fledgling scale-ups, multi generation family businesses and PLCs all have one thing in common – all require exceptional leaders with the vision, motivation and know-how to grow an organisation. Often this can mean the need to increase capability from outside the current workforce. Identifying, engaging, assessing and appointing top-tier talent can prove difficult through traditional recruitment methods and existing contact networks can compromise sensitivities and confidentiality. Narratology brings expertise in successfully delivering such processes and our targeted approach enables us to make the key appointments an organisation’s success hinges upon.