Preserving Company Pillars from Early Days

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Leaders should start preserving company pillars early on, focusing on scale and growth. While survival and acquiring customers take precedence in the early days, neglecting the internal climate may cause the soul of the company to wither away. Founders often embody the soul of the company, being vital in preserving it.

So, you’ve successfully scaled your start-up and you’re growing into a mature company. What, if anything, should you retain from those early days?

Harvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati says the most successful organizations have one thing in common: a soul. “Soul” goes beyond culture, purpose, or even the founder. It’s about having three things: strategic business intent, a strong connection to customers, and a stellar employee experience. Gulati argues that if you don’t preserve these elements as you scale, you’ll lose what makes your company special.

In this episode, he explains how to define the specific problem your company solves, with plenty of real-world examples from Netflix, Apple, and Warby Parker. You’ll also learn how to bring the voice of customers into your organization and ensure that your employees feel connected to them.

Key episode topics include: strategy, entrepreneurship, organizational culture, start-up, scaling.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

· Listen to the full HBR IdeaCast episode: Finding (and Keeping) Your Company’s Soul (2019)

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