Outgrowing Yourself

What 25 founders revealed about becoming a different kind of leader

Growing an organization means growing into a different kind of leader. I spoke with with 25 founders about how their sense of themselves changed along the way.

72% described practicing new ways of leading before those ways felt natural. Most of those whose leadership really shifted got there without falling apart first.

The report covers five findings:

1. how founders practice their way into the role,

2. why change doesn’t require a crisis,

3. how the pressure comes through people,

4. the credibility tax some founders pay, and

5. why recovery is a practice, not a reward.

It closes with reflections for founders and for the investors and advisors who back them.