Build a Team That Scales With You

Hi,

Here’s a question for you: Are you building a business with your people or on the backs of your people?

This week’s 3-2-1 is all about the principle that can make or break your ability to scale: People.

A brilliant vision coupled with a great plan mean nothing without the right people, culture, and leadership to deliver them.

Let’s explore how to attract, grow, and retain the talent who will scale with you, not just work for you.

3 Scaling Tactics

#1. Put People Before Profits (And Watch Profits Grow).

Bob Chapman, author of Everybody Matters, built Barry-Wehmiller into a +$3Bn company by leading with empathy. His approach? "We measure success by the way we touch the lives of people."

In our Simple Scaling book, we share how companies that focus on culture, care, and contribution outperform their peers. Why? Because people who feel safe, seen, and supported go the extra mile and this is becoming increasingly important given that shockingly 80% of employees are disengaged.

Ask yourself: If my team didn’t have to work here, would they choose to?

#2. Don't Hire Talent, Build It.

Cameron Herold, known as the "CEO Whisperer," revealed that great leaders don’t just find unicorns, they create environments where people become unicorns.

He urges leaders to create clear roles, define expectations, and coach relentlessly. At Simple Scaling, our ScaleX Elevate and Accelerator programmes help leaders build these very systems, turning high-potential teams into high-performing ones.

Scaling is not about getting more people. It's about getting more from the people you already have, sustainably.

#3. Culture Is a Product.

Ryan Hawk, host of The Learning Leader Show, told us that culture isn’t what you say, it’s what you tolerate.

In Simple Scaling, we teach that every action, decision, and policy either builds or erodes your culture.

So be intentional: celebrate what you want repeated, call out what you want eliminated, and codify what you value.

As Peter Drucker said: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast."

2 Leadership Lessons

1. Leaders Are Multipliers.

Your presence, attitude, and energy multiply across your team. If you're stressed, scattered, or cynical, that ripples out. But so does optimism, clarity, and care.

The People principle in our ScaleX Framework reminds us that leaders go first. To create a culture of trust, feedback, and ownership, you must model it first.

What are you multiplying today?

2. Replacing "Taking Charge" With "Taking Care".

Simple Scaling encourages leaders to become emotionally intelligent, self-aware, and deeply invested in their people.

That means listening more than speaking, developing more than directing, and caring more than controlling.

Great leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.

1 Final Reflection Question

Would your top people recommend your leadership to someone they care about?

Thank you for reading this week’s 3-2-1. If it sparked insight or hit a nerve, I’d love to hear from you.

And if you know a leader struggling to grow their team and culture, pass this along, it might just be the nudge they need.

To growing through your people, and achieving limitless business.

Brendan