The Scaling Trap: Leadership Challenges in Growth-Stage Startups

Challenge: After growing to 100+ employees, the management team failed to transition to scale-up leadership. 

• The CEO still acted like a startup founder, micromanaging rather than delegating. 

• Execution slowed as managers weren’t empowered to lead their teams. 

• Investors feared leadership misalignment could stall further growth. 

Solution: 
Through our Scale-Up Leadership Assessment, we evaluated whether the CEO was the right fit for this phase. 

• A new COO was brought in to drive operational structure. 

• Leadership coaching enabled the CEO to shift focus to vision and strategy. 

Results:  

• Operational efficiency improved within six months 

• The company successfully expanded to 300+ employees 

• Investors gained confidence in long-term leadership stability 

Are your leaders scaling with your company, or holding it back? Let’s map their fit.