Fixing your team is the key to scaling a business

Focus on your employees, or you'll face a much harder path to growth

Far too often, I've seen companies treat their own people as the 'soft side' of the business, but the truth is that engaged employees are actually the ones producing the productivity that drives growth. When data tells us low worker engagement cost the global economy $10 trillion in lost productivity in 2025, CEOs need to look inside their own firm to see whether they're driving part of the problem.

Stop delegating your people to HR

My advice for the first 30 days of stepping into a business? Stop delegating responsibility for your people to HR and start paying them hands-on attention.

Employees won't be motivated if they feel ignored, and that attitude will ripple through every area of operations. Workplace errors creep up and can create a major headache for senior management or, on the client side, lead to poorer customer service and bad reviews.

Motivated workers don't just prevent these trends. They become valued team members who want to stay and grow with the company for the long term. That's why any CEO serious about sustainable growth should treat focusing on their employees as a non-negotiable.

Start with the organisational chart

I personally start by reviewing the company's organisational chart to measure how people are distributed across departments against industry metrics. This isn't an exact science, but for any industry and company type, there are already established benchmarks. In the services industry, for example, you'll normally find 12–15 team members per team leader.

Comparing the company's internal structure with a benchmark always gives me a broad view of what I need to focus on. It can also help you notice inefficiencies affecting productivity right from the start, such as teams that may need more or less employee oversight, before you even ask a single question.

Talk to everyone, not just management

Poring over documents gives you a top-level analysis, but you still need to talk to your employees. They can explain what's broken internally, which adds colour and context to the data in your documents.

The most common mistake I see among CEOs is only talking to the management team. If you broaden that and start speaking to everyone, you get a fuller picture and gain real insight into what the company actually needs, not what a few select people think it needs.

The best thing to do is ask as many questions as you can to understand the internal politics and company culture at play. Once you understand that, you can create an environment where employees feel they can be honest about what works and what doesn't. In my experience, employees want to speak up and ensure the best outcome for the business, but they also need to know that their voices matter and will be heard.

Leadership is a two-way street. CEOs need to deepen their understanding of the business, and their employees need to feel seen to want to do their best work. I firmly believe that starts with giving the people in your organisation a voice.

Turn conversations into a realistic growth plan

Their answers will also let you cross-compare your findings with important company statistics. If your company has a high attrition rate, for example, it's easier to see whether it's due to low morale without making false assumptions that could make things worse. Little by little, you build an understanding of the team's culture and can create a realistic plan to help the business grow.

Sometimes this will help you identify high-potential candidates to promote, streamlining decision-making and productivity within certain teams. Other times, you may uncover employees no longer contributing meaningfully towards the company's productivity and overall growth.

Without clear dialogue between you and every employee, many of these issues would remain hidden. The nuance of a team's strengths and weaknesses only comes out in these small conversations that most CEOs overlook. But when productivity drops, your duty is to understand the full picture beyond data and financials.

People power every part of your strategy. In the first 30 days, you want to make sure the force driving business growth is heard and on your side. So my lesson is to always focus on your people.