Podcast Summary: "How Do I Adapt My Leadership as My Company Grows?"
Podcast Information:
- Title: Coaching Real Leaders
- Host: Muriel Wilkins (Harvard Business Review)
- Episode: How Do I Adapt My Leadership as My Company Grows?
- Release Date: June 16, 2025
Introduction
In this episode of Coaching Real Leaders, renowned executive coach Muriel Wilkins engages in a deep-dive coaching session with Flynn, a successful entrepreneur facing leadership challenges as her company scales. The conversation centers on adapting leadership styles to foster team autonomy, setting consistent expectations, and balancing personal growth with business demands.
Background and Current Challenges
Flynn shares her entrepreneurial journey, highlighting her lifelong immersion in business and her commitment to quality. Despite her company's success, Flynn has recently encountered friction in managing her expanding team.
Flynn [01:47]: “I'm doing everything for everyone. Like me leading this company more looks like me cleaning up everyone's stuff.”
This realization came around a significant personal milestone—a birthday—which prompted her to reassess her leadership approach. Flynn recognized that her hands-on management style was hindering her team's growth and the company's overall efficiency.
Steps Taken to Address Challenges
Determined to evolve, Flynn took proactive steps to enhance her leadership capabilities:
- Team Reinforcement: She partnered with a headhunter to onboard stronger team members.
- Delegation: Flynn aimed to empower her team by reducing her direct involvement in day-to-day tasks.
Flynn [02:37]: “I have some great new people, you know, now we want to set this up for success, so I want to make sure I'm structuring my leadership in a new way where they're doing their work. I'm not answering their questions. They don't come to me for everything.”
Developing Leadership Skills
Muriel emphasizes the importance of Flynn's self-development and her willingness to adapt. Flynn admits to struggling with stepping away from micromanaging and expresses a desire to gain confidence in her own ideas rather than defaulting to her team's suggestions.
Flynn [05:02]: “I need to just stop all of that. I'm the boss, and I actually know a lot, and I think I need to be more confident in my ideas because I put money in these other people's ideas, and they really don't know as much as I do.”
Muriel guides Flynn to focus on clarifying her own goals and finding solutions aligned with her vision, rather than seeking validation on her ideas.
Implementing Consistent Structures and Accountability
A significant portion of the discussion revolves around establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and regular accountability measures. Flynn acknowledges that previously, performance reviews were reactive, occurring only when issues arose.
Flynn [09:05]: “I used to finish people's job and be very hands on, and now I'm leading in a new way and telling them their responsibilities, setting KPIs and speaking to them about their successes and also asking questions to try to get them to answer so they can grow and become independent in their work.”
Muriel advises Flynn to implement consistent, proactive performance conversations to prevent issues from piling up and to foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Muriel [13:59]: “These conversations kind of become an event rather than hard ones. Right. But the fact that you're labeling them as hard rather than saying these are just conversations we need to be having consistently… It's not a hard or easy conversation. It's just a normal conversation to have.”
Overcoming Perfectionism and Embracing Team Autonomy
Flynn grapples with perfectionism, often interfering with her team's autonomy by completing tasks herself. Through the coaching session, she acknowledges the need to trust her team's capabilities and allow them to execute tasks their way, even if it differs from her approach.
Flynn [22:16]: “…if everything's going good, I can keep it casual. And if things aren't going good, I've got to sort of, you know, create a process and structure.”
Muriel reinforces the importance of stepping back and letting the team take ownership, highlighting that leadership involves guiding rather than doing.
Balancing Listening to External Advice and Internal Decision-Making
Flynn discusses her efforts to seek external feedback and advice to drive company growth. She recognizes the value of experienced insights but also emphasizes the importance of making decisions that align with her company's core values and objectives.
Flynn [22:43]: “I make the decision. And I must say that I find that you do have to listen to some of these experienced people for the right questions to ask.”
Muriel advises Flynn to balance external inputs with her own judgment, ensuring that strategic decisions reflect her vision for the company.
Setting Firm Expectations and Saying No
A crucial takeaway from the session is Flynn's realization of the necessity to set clear expectations and the power of saying no to non-essential requests that do not align with her company's priorities.
Muriel [29:28]: “Now, what difference do you think that would make for you and for the team?”
Flynn [29:42]: “I have to remember that.”
By establishing firm deadlines and holding team members accountable, Flynn aims to streamline operations and reduce her workload.
Concluding Insights and Takeaways
The session concludes with Flynn outlining her key takeaways:
- Consistent Expectation Setting: Implementing clear, measurable KPIs for all team members.
- Accountability: Regular check-ins to monitor progress and provide feedback.
- Adaptability: Being open to adjusting strategies based on outcomes.
- Prioritization: Focusing on company goals and learning to say no to distractions.
Flynn [38:13]: “Don't mind, I'm going to give you the biggest and then the minor, the setting the expectations for each person. And then I have to stay consistent and do that with each team member, whether they're having success or not.”
Muriel underscores the importance of these strategies in freeing up Flynn's time, allowing her to focus on strategic growth rather than day-to-day micromanagement.
Conclusion
Flynn's journey underscores a common challenge faced by growing entrepreneurs: transitioning from hands-on management to strategic leadership. Through self-reflection and actionable strategies, Flynn is poised to foster a more autonomous and accountable team, ensuring sustainable growth and personal balance.
Flynn [42:17]: “…sometimes it's the thinking stuff that's more important than the doing stuff. And I think that's a constant reminder.”
Muriel Wilkins wraps up the episode by highlighting the transformative power of consistent leadership practices and the continuous evolution required to navigate business growth effectively.
Notable Quotes:
- Flynn [01:47]: “I'm doing everything for everyone. Like me leading this company more looks like me cleaning up everyone's stuff.”
- Flynn [05:02]: “I need to just stop all of that. I'm the boss, and I actually know a lot, and I think I need to be more confident in my ideas because I put money in these other people's ideas, and they really don't know as much as I do.”
- Muriel [13:59]: “These conversations kind of become an event rather than hard ones. Right. But the fact that you're labeling them as hard rather than saying these are just conversations we need to be having consistently… It's not a hard or easy conversation. It's just a normal conversation to have.”
- Flynn [22:16]: “…if everything's going good, I can keep it casual. And if things aren't going good, I've got to sort of, you know, create a process and structure.”
- Flynn [38:13]: “Don't mind, I'm going to give you the biggest and then the minor, the setting the expectations for each person. And then I have to stay consistent and do that with each team member, whether they're having success or not.”
This episode offers valuable insights for leaders at any stage, emphasizing the balance between guiding a team and empowering them to take ownership, all while maintaining alignment with the company's core objectives.