Nalini Mohan’s Post

The conversation around 'Founder Mode' and 'Manager Mode' has caused intense debate in the last week and calls into question conventional leadership wisdom such as "Hire good people and give them room to do their jobs", instead advocating for management practices such as 'skip-level meetings' and Founders being substantially more directive and hands on in the areas that they feel need their involvement. For VC backed companies where outsized returns are the goal, is it true that companies need to be run by Founder's given carte blanche to lead as they see fit? Or are we simply experiencing a pendulum swinging back to a more directive leadership style being 'on trend' (what is old is new). Like all leadership trends the reality is of course 'it depends'. However, to disrupt industries and achieve hyper growth it has been proven again and again that founder led companies perform better. Whether this is directly linked to a 'Founder Mode' leadership style is TBD. What is unequivocally true is that to 'win' at scale, you need a world class and engaged team... https://lnkd.in/eAUMd2Me

𝐈𝐬 '𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞' 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡? ' Came across Tristan Handy's take on Paul Graham's well-known essay, 𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒, in the Fortune and found it to be a refreshing counterpoint. Graham’s view, while idealistic, seems a bit narrow, especially in how it frames founders and C-level execs. Handy makes an important distinction: while founders have that spark and energy to challenge the status quo, scaling a company successfully requires much more than just founder grit. It demands seasoned leaders who know how to build large-scale operations and create sustainable systems—things that founders often don’t have the experience to execute. One key point from Handy that struck a chord: creating a false dichotomy between founders and C-level execs is counterproductive. Founders aren’t magical unicorns, and experienced executives aren’t just bureaucrats standing in the way. In fact, when companies scale, these execs bring critical skills that founders often lack, whether it’s building global teams or aligning complex product roadmaps. The real question founders should ask isn’t whether their C-level execs are too corporate but rather: 𝐷𝑖𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒? And, 𝐴𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔, 𝑐𝑜ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚? Growth isn’t a founder-only game. It’s about bringing together a team of diverse, experienced leaders who can drive the company forward. Handy’s article is a timely reminder that scaling takes more than vision—it takes the ability to build and lead an exceptional team. 🔗: https://lnkd.in/gM-mNRHw #startup #growth #foundermode

The founder CEO is, no question, the driving force behind a start-up—but scaling start-ups also need a team of high-performing senior leaders to achieve their growth goals (see sidebar A word about CEO succession in start-ups)

The difference between scaling a business that will last and one that could die out often comes down to people management. If startups can ensure that they retain top talent, company values, and a healthy culture as they expand in size and capabilities, they can maintain patterns of #SustainableGrowth. A solid workforce will translate into a competitive advantage. #Retention #Leadership

3 Things I Wish Brian Chesky Understood About His Own Leadership at Scale Stemming from a recent exchange with Klint C. Kendrick, PhD, SPHR as we prep for the September 25th HR M&A Roundtable discussion in NYC, the topic of leadership at scale has been top of mind. I’ve been reflecting on Brian Chesky’s recent thoughts on hands-on leadership in high-growth companies and reader responses struggling with it's message. While his detailed approach has its merits, here are three crucial points to consider as companies scale and leaders work to understand their impact: 1. Empowering Others Isn’t Optional: Leadership at scale demands trusting managers to make decisions independently and being available during times of uncertainty. Chesky’s hands-on style may work initially, but to scale, founders must shift from micromanaging to empowering their teams. Micromanagement erodes trust and limits scalability, making it crucial for leaders to be available, but adopt a coaching mindset in how they engage, rather than trying to solve every issue. 2. Collaboration Beats Control: Rather than getting “sucked into problems,” effective leaders create systems where issues are identified and solved collaboratively. By fostering a collaborative culture, CEOs can scale their influence and enable senior leaders to handle problems before they escalate. 3. Leadership Styles Must Evolve: Effective management styles that center on "do as I say" and "do as I do" that fuel early success don’t fit into leading at scale. In fact, leaders that do not evolve beyond these styles fail. As companies grow, leaders need to increase and hone their EQ. Leadership at scale involves empowering others, fostering collaboration, and evolving leadership styles to meet growing challenges. This does not take away from Chesky's observation that many leaders become removed and isolated within their own executive structures, but his simplification of the leadership styles necessary for success in making his point leaves out a huge part of what is surely his success as a leader. If you’re navigating similar transitions, feel free to DM me to discuss effective strategies. https://lnkd.in/e6gSTBuf,

I fundamentally don't believe in the "I alone can fix this"-mantra. I think it is a downright dangerous illusion. While it is always possible to quote one or two outliers to try to prove your point, I believe it is with founder leadership 'at all costs' as it is with most other things; it follows a long tail curve: Yes, you may find a few successful examples at the top for reference (and even those may have got a gloss over), but by and large there is little to indicate that founders possess almost divine leadership skills that can help them navigate their companies through any storm. So, in short, I think the notion of 'Founder Mode' as a general concept is BS. What you need is balance. Yes, you need to be at the helm and be able to show direction and personal leadership and put in the hard work needed to show a great example. But you also need to lead in a way that allow others on your team to do their best work, including leading the projects and teams they're responsible for. #founder #leadership #startup https://lnkd.in/dHqjCKka

As start-ups grow, founder CEOs need to strategically reassess their foundational elements: talent, leadership, purpose, and culture. The shift from a small, intimate team to a larger organization makes formal talent planning necessary and alters leadership dynamics, making delegation crucial. The company's purpose must be consistently communicated to prevent dilution during growth, ensuring all employees align with the mission. Moreover, cultivating a strong, adaptive culture is essential for maintaining engagement and productivity. Using data for decision-making and enhancing communication practices can empower teams and sustain the entrepreneurial spirit, ultimately driving long-term success. #leadership #entrepreneurship #talentmanagement #startupgrowth

My timeline has been filled with debate about "Founder Mode" vs "Manager Mode" this week. But I think it's telling that the Paul Graham's blog post that set it all off never uses the word "leadership." That tells you that the debate isn't about leadership style, it's about the fragile ego of tech bros as they realize they're losing the venerated cultural status they have enjoyed for the last 20 years. Check out the link for more debunking of the "Founder Mode" myth. #tech #foundermode #leadership https://lnkd.in/eny3ifAq

Every start-up must launch with four critical building blocks of organizational success: talent, leadership, purpose, and culture. But those foundational blocks will need to be shifted or slightly realigned as the organization grows and its strategy, operations, and talent decisions become more complex. As they pursue opportunities in new markets or geographies, founder CEOs and their teams will need to regularly and systematically reconsider their approaches to hiring and retaining talent, developing next-generation leaders, reinforcing the company’s purpose, and shaping the organization’s culture. What’s more, they will need to ensure they are communicating frequently and consistently at all levels of the organization, and, if they aren’t already, they will need to use more data to make better and quicker decisions as the company grows. By adapting their structures, behaviors, and processes accordingly, founder CEOs can overcome any scaling challenges, preserve their organizations’ entrepreneurial edge, and keep their people—the heart of any successful start-up—engaged and aligned for long-term success.

The difference between businesses that last and businesses that don't is the people. If #entrepreneurs can maintain top talent, core values, and curated company cultures during rapid expansion and growth, they will be more likely to succeed in the long run. While #growth can be exciting, leadership should never take their attention away from building their teams. #TransformationalLeadership