Starting a business requires determination, long hours and a willingness to take risks. But for many entrepreneurs, the most difficult challenge may come after the business begins to succeed.
As companies move from the startup phase into expansion, founders can encounter what leadership expert Dr. Sam Adeyemi calls an entrepreneurial “brick wall” — a point where the strategies and habits that helped build the business are no longer enough to take it to the next level.
“Many businesses hit a brick wall sometime between the starting and expansion phases,” Adeyemi said. “The solution is in recognizing that what got you here may not be what gets you to the next level.”
Adeyemi, an Atlanta-based executive coach, strategic leadership expert and author, argues that sustainable growth requires entrepreneurs to change how they think, lead and operate.
One of the biggest obstacles is the founder becoming a bottleneck. Entrepreneurs who built their companies by handling nearly every responsibility may struggle to delegate as the organization grows.
At some point, the founder must transition from being the person who does everything to becoming the leader who develops people, establishes systems and empowers others to make decisions.
That shift can be particularly difficult for entrepreneurs who have become accustomed to relying on themselves. But continuing to operate a growing company as though it were a startup can limit expansion and leave leaders overwhelmed.
“Hustle” also has its limits, Adeyemi said. While hard work can help launch a company, sustainable growth depends on creating an organization that can function without requiring the founder’s involvement in every decision.
That includes developing scalable systems, eliminating activities that consume resources without producing meaningful results and building teams capable of carrying the business forward.
Adeyemi outlines these ideas in his book “SHIFTS: 6 Steps to Transform Your Mindset and Elevate Your Leadership,” which presents a framework for developing transformational leadership. The SHIFTS model stands for See, Hear, Insight, Formulate, Transform and Succeed.
The timing is particularly relevant during National Black Business Month, observed in August, and World Entrepreneurs’ Day on Aug. 21, when attention turns to entrepreneurship and business growth.
Adeyemi is the CEO of Sam Adeyemi, GLC, Inc., and founder and executive director of Daystar Leadership Academy. More than 52,000 alumni have graduated from the academy’s programs, according to his biography.
He is also the author of “Dear Leader: Your Flagship Guide to Successful Leadership” and holds a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University.
His message for entrepreneurs facing a growth ceiling is straightforward: Scaling a business requires scaling the leader, too.