What does it take to Scale Up a Business – Part One: Attracting & Keeping the Right People

“If you can’t get the people part right, nothing else works.” — Verne Harnish

Every leader knows that as businesses grow, people problems become performance problems.

Scaling isn’t just about revenue, process, or systems. It’s about having the right people, in the right roles, doing the right things.

And yet — as companies expand, the toughest challenges often involve people: evolving roles, cultural tension, and misaligned expectations.

That’s why in Part One of our four-part Scaling Up series, we focus on the most critical decision area of all: People.

Step 1: Scale Up the Leadership — It Starts with You

Before you focus on employees, suppliers, or customers, start with your leadership team — because scaling amplifies everything at the top.

Often, loyalties, egos, and personal dynamics within the executive group are the biggest obstacles to growth.

Your job as a leader is to build clarity and alignment:

• Define your Purpose and Core Values — and live them.
• Ensure every leader can state your strategy clearly, in one sentence.
• Set clear priorities and measurable goals.
• Reinforce accountability — both collective and individual.

When everyone on your leadership team understands their role, owns their outcomes, and models your values, you create the foundation for scalable culture.

Because leaders don’t just manage growth — they set the tone for it.

Step 2: Scale Up Your Employees — Engagement Is the Engine

Once your leadership team is aligned, focus on the heartbeat of your organization: your employees.

Ask yourself:

“Are my people happy, engaged, and performing at their best?”

If not, here are six practical ways to lift engagement and performance.

1. Help People Play to Their Strengths

Identify what energizes each person — not just what they’re good at.
When people play to their strengths, they become more creative, productive, and fulfilled.

2. Don’t De-Motivate — De-Hassle

Remove unnecessary friction. Eliminate roadblocks, redundant approvals, and bureaucratic drag. People perform best when they feel trusted and empowered.

3. Set Clear Expectations

High performers crave clarity. Define the “why,” “who,” and “how” of success. When people know what winning looks like, performance follows.

4. Recognize and Appreciate

Recognition rewards great performance. Appreciation values the person behind it. Both matter — and both need to be practiced deliberately.

5. Hire Fewer, Pay Better

As Jim Collins reminds us in Good to Great, it’s about getting the right people on the bus. Fewer A-players outperform a room full of C-players every time.

6. Measure Engagement Regularly

Engagement isn’t a guess. Use tools like eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) to track it. Then dig deeper with Gallup’s 12 engagement questions to uncover root causes.

People can’t grow in confusion. Measurement gives you visibility and momentum.

Step 3: Scale Up Your Partners — Suppliers and Customers

Scaling up isn’t just internal — it’s relational.

Suppliers:
Treat suppliers as strategic partners, not transactions.
When you communicate openly and build long-term relationships, you earn preference — especially in volatile supply chains. 

Customers:
Your best customers are your greatest growth engine.
Listen to their feedback. Fix their frustrations. Reward loyalty.

A returning customer is worth far more than a new one — because they bring trust, referrals, and credibility.

Step 4: Scale Up Your Investors — Keep Them Engaged

Investors provide more than funding — they provide perspective.

Keep them informed and aligned through regular updates, transparent communication, and clear progress metrics.
Invite their insight — not just their oversight.

Engaged investors can become advocates, opening doors and accelerating growth.

Final Thought — People Decisions Shape Everything

Every scaling challenge — strategy, systems, or cash — eventually comes down to people.

When you align the right leaders, empower engaged employees, and nurture loyal partners, your business stops fighting friction and starts gaining traction.

As Verne Harnish says in Scaling Up, “When the right people are in the right seats, you can focus on the right things.”

Want help building your people strategy for scalable growth?

Contact me at tedb@strategyandexecution.com.au to schedule a free 30-minute discovery meeting.

TED BONEL, SCALING UP PRACTITIONER – STRATEGY & EXECUTION BUSINESS ADVISORS

Are you looking to scale your business and execute strategy with clarity and impact? I help CEOs and founders turn big ideas into real-world results, guiding small to mid-market companies through tailored strategic insights that drive growth.

My expertise lies in simplifying complexity – bridging high-level strategic frameworks with the practical realities of running a business. Unlike many consultants who focus solely on theory or execution, I specialise in both—translating strategy into actionable, transformative steps that deliver lasting results.

Want help building your people strategy for scalable growth?

Contact me at tedb@strategyandexecution.com.au to schedule a free 30-minute discovery meeting.

ABOUT STRATEGY & EXECUTION

For over 20 years, Strategy & Execution has supported leaders and organisations in developing and executing winning strategies. We provide expert facilitation, executive education, and hands-on consulting to help businesses refine their strategic direction and implement it effectively.

Using proven methodologies like Scaling Up, E-Myth Mastery, Outthinker, and more, we challenge conventional thinking and equip organisations with the tools to accelerate growth. Our approach is dynamic—combining deep business experience with practical execution. We don’t just advise; we roll up our sleeves and work alongside you to make strategy happen.

If you’re preparing for a strategy development or execution challenge and are committed to creating real value, we’d love to hear from you. Learn more about our work or upcoming workshops