There is no denying that embarking on a scale-up journey is not a run-of-the-mill agenda but one characterised by profound change. After putting a fresh spin on your business model, including updating your value proposition, you may find that the very identity of your company needs to undergo a revamp too. As a result, mindset shifts will need to occur across the board and should ideally precede the execution of any bold plans.
According to the Leadership at Scale Diamond framework pioneered by McKinsey, mindset shift belongs to one of the critical shifts that can create disproportionate value. For example, elevating the brand image or targeting a different customer segment would have an influence on the way in which salespeople sell a product or service. Rather than being solely focused on driving up sales figures, sales staff may now be required to approach their role with a markedly different attitude, for instance, as purveyors of the company’s values. By the same token, if the company decides to fervently pursue ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) goals to create value, what is environmentally friendly, and socially and ethically responsible would become a prerequisite for doing business rather than merely being a side agenda.
Mindset shifts about how the company is to be run will also need to take place. To nurture creativity and entrepreneurship, and generate synergies in furtherance of growth, there should be an open exchange of information. Traditionally, the management structure had its roots in the military, following a very linear hierarchy, where information was only held by a few select individuals within the company. The danger is that when people need to resort to guesswork in decision-making, they may lose sight of the factors that are important to the overall strategy, thereby veering off course. In addition, leaders should instil a collaborative and experimentative mindset so that employees feel at ease when voicing their innovative and disruptive ideas. Not providing appropriate outlets for their expression would stifle creative thinking in the long run.
