Leadership: Are you maximizing your Startup’s chances (or are you hurting them)?
- Gerry Gadoury
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
Most people would agree that the most important single resource they have isn’t funding, or strategy, or even the product—it’s the teams they build and develop along the way.
As your organization grows, your ability to control outcomes on your own begins to fade. The hustle that got you here won’t be enough to get you there. What becomes far more important is your ability to develop a highly productive, aligned, and motivated team.
And for a lot of folks, that’s pretty scary. Because at its core, entrepreneurship isn’t just about building products—it’s about leading people. Which means your success becomes directly tied to your ability to lead.
And yet…
Most people still look at leadership as an innate skill. Something you either have or you don’t. Something you’re born with.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
Leadership, like any other skill, is something you learn. It’s built over time through education, training, reflection, and lived experience.
The Best Tool I’ve Found for Leading High-Performing Teams
When I think about leadership in the context of building and scaling a team, the most effective approach I’ve found - the one that’s simple to understand, easy to implement, and consistently gets results - is something I call the EFG Leadership Framework.
It looks like this:
E – Engage: Make people feel heard and valued
F – Fulfill: Ensure they feel satisfied with their work and aligned with the company’s mission
G – Grow: Provide clear, ongoing opportunities for personal and professional growth
The reality is this: to build a high-performing team, you need access to great talent. You need that talent to choose you, to stay with you, and to show up as their best selves day after day, working in close coordination with one another.
So how do you make that happen?
You give them a reason to care.
People perform at their highest level when they feel invested in what they’re doing - when they’re engaged, fulfilled, and growing. That’s where the EFG Framework comes in. It isn’t just a feel-good management philosophy. It’s a practical roadmap for creating the kind of environment where great people thrive.
When someone feels heard and respected - engaged - and when their personal values and goals align with those of the organization - fulfilled - they start to believe in the mission. When they also see a future for themselves - growth - they’re not just willing to give their best…they’re excited to. And that’s when you unlock true, sustainable high performance.
So, how do you actually put this into practice?
Let’s start with Engagement
The first step to engaging your team is talking with them. Not at them - with them:
Ask how company decisions are affecting their work
Get their perspective on the company’s direction
Understand how changes are landing on the ground level
Invite their ideas and solutions
And when you use one of their ideas - say so. Publicly
The goal here isn’t to hand over decision-making - it’s to create space for real input. When people know their voice matters and their perspective is taken seriously, they show up differently. They take ownership. They step up.
Now let’s talk about Fulfillment
Fulfillment starts way before someone’s first day - it begins during recruitment:
Be transparent about your company culture on your careers page and social media
Have honest conversations with candidates about your mission, values, and vision
And just as importantly, ask them about theirs
If your values and goals don’t align, walk away - even if the skillset is a perfect match. Cultural alignment is what keeps people motivated and connected. It’s also what keeps them around.
Once they’re on your team, continue the conversation.
Learn how each person best receives praise - and then give it freely, as long as it’s real
Use 1:1s and performance reviews to check in not just on output, but on satisfaction
Make sure they still believe in the mission - and that the work still works for them
Finally, let’s talk about Growth
This, too, starts during the hiring process:
Make sure the role is a step forward for them - not just a lateral move
Where possible, hire folks who are 80% there - people who can grow into the role
During onboarding, start mapping out a career plan, and revisit it regularly
People’s goals shift - often due to things outside of work - so the growth conversation can’t be one-and-done. Top performers are often the ones who fear stagnation the most. If they’re not growing, they’ll eventually leave. Keeping them challenged, supported, and evolving is a win for them and for you.
EFG Leadership Isn’t Just Good Culture - It’s a Competitive Advantage
When you consistently use the EFG Framework in your leadership style, you build the kind of culture where people don’t just want to work - they want to stay. You build a company where top talent believes they can 10X their career.
So I’ll leave you with this: what would developing that reputation mean to YOUR company?
For more tips on starting and scaling a startup, don’t forget to subscribe to Startup Boston’s newsletter (directly below). We’ll provide you with a weekly digest of what events are happening, upcoming accelerator deadlines, where to land funding, and when new blogs (like this one!) are live.
About the author: Gerry Gadoury is a serial entrepreneur, best-selling author of “Destination Employer” and speaker. He is the Founder of RedBeard Solutions here in Dudley, MA. His hobbies include reading, writing, and hiking. You can connect with him here.
Comments