6 attributes of great growth leaders (with real-life examples and a bit of psychological attachment theory)

In my 16 years' experience of growing businesses, I've been fortunate to have worked with some of the world's top growth leaders.

Via my own hands-on involvement in building teams, running departments, managing offices, pushing metrics and ultimately increasing the bottom line, I've seen the powerful impact that leaders have on the trajectory of a business. I have also seen examples of bad leadership and the negative effect it has on growth.

Here I share my learnings on the attributes that the best growth leaders have, along with real-life examples that illustrate those attributes that I have personally experienced.

1. Clear Vision (and practical execution)

Great growth leaders possess a clear vision of where they want to take their team or company, along with the framework to make it happen. They can see beyond immediate challenges and anticipate growth opportunities. They are also able to foresee the problems that inevitably come as an organisation expands and prepare the ground to minimise or avoid those pitfalls.

Real-life Example

During my time at Skyscanner, as the company grew from its 'teenage' startup years into a scaleup, a major rethink was required if we were to reach the next level of growth.

We were no longer the scrappy startup we once were; we needed the processes, the structures, the mindset, and the joined-up thinking to match what was now a much bigger and more complex business.

The leaders had the wisdom to recognise that the skills required for this next stage of growth did not exist entirely in-house. So they set to work recruiting people who were experienced in this phase of growth, and in the markets we wanted to expand into, who were able to shape the company's direction, serve those markets best, and unlock the next stage of growth.

An important learning here is that clarity of vision alone is not enough: a great leader sets a clear and motivational vision of the future while making space for the people in that company to embrace and execute smoothly. This means setting up the right frameworks, tooling, hiring and internal dynamics to remove friction and allow people to focus only on getting stuff done, and thereby, grow.

2. Empathy and Integrity

Integrity, empathy and ethical conduct are non-negotiable for great growth leaders. They lead by example, demonstrating honesty, transparency,  supportiveness and care for their people.

Taking time to be genuinely interested in the well-being of their team, these leaders win trust and loyalty, raising performance in the long term. The best growth leaders unite rather than divide, remain apolitical, empathetic, logical, and data-driven, and serve their teams with integrity and honesty.

As organisations grow they often become more political. I have personally experienced times when a company's original values have been overshaded by in-fighting and posturing for power. 

Building an environment where people feel safe and are not afraid of talking to colleagues (their manager included) about mistakes they made, or admitting that they don’t know how to deal with a problem is one of the most powerful attributes of successful teams.

Google’s Project Aristotle: A Case Study in Psychological Safety, has proved this. Their extensive research concluded that fostering an environment where employees felt comfortable expressing their thoughts without fear of retribution, enabled them to sustain innovation and collaboration even as the company grew rapidly. 

And this is mirrored by my own experiences; I have witnessed a stark difference in how a secure team performs, versus an insecure one that is led by fear of reproach and governed by a will of power.

This is not dissimilar to establishing a secure attachment between parent and child, which the noted psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby studied in great depth.

John Bowlby's Attachment Theory posits that early relationships between children and their caregivers have a profound impact on their emotional development and influence patterns of behaviour in adult relationships. According to Bowlby, a secure attachment pattern is established when a caregiver consistently responds to a child's needs with warmth, sensitivity, and reliability, fostering a sense of safety and trust. This secure base allows the child to explore the world confidently and develop a sense of independence while knowing they have a safe haven to return to for support. 

John Bowlby's Attachment Theory posits that early relationships between children and their caregivers have a profound impact on their emotional development and influence patterns of behaviour in adult relationships.

In a business environment, a similar dynamic can be observed between a manager and their direct report. A manager who provides consistent support, and constructive feedback, and recognizes the individual's contributions fosters a secure ‘attachment’ in the workplace. 

This encourages employees to take initiative, innovate, and engage in open communication, knowing they have a supportive leader to back them up. Just as in Bowlby's theory, the security and trust built in this professional relationship can lead to higher productivity, job satisfaction, and loyalty, mirroring the benefits of secure attachment in early development.

Real-life Example

Encouraging employees to share their mistakes on a common channel so that everybody can pitch in, learn and support was one initiative we took back in the scaling days at Skyscanner, creating a Slack channel called #failforward.  

Other activities we implemented both at Skyscanner and Oda as well as in other start-ups I advised were:

• Organising discussions about impostor syndrome

• Raising awareness of toxic behaviour and calling it out as negative 

• Debating what constituted great management practice

• Establishing company values that were aligned with empathy, respect, care and open communication

• Promoting ethical and committed work

These actions led to highly motivated and engaged teams that were willing to give and become their best since they felt supported in their daily working life.

3. Inspiring Communicators

Great growth leaders not only communicate clearly but inspire others to action. Rather than dictating rigid plans, they motivate their team to find and execute growth opportunities themselves. Done with the right resources and framework, this leads to exponential growth.

Real-life Example

As Skyscanner grew, more resources were put into inspiring people with regular talks held every week. These were not dry, jargon-laden business presentations, but human stories of people who had done something interesting or extraordinary.

Often, these examples came from people within the company, for example exploring an experiment they had carried out and presenting the learnings they had taken from it.

Sometimes the examples came from entirely different fields – the film industry, Roman history, or the political sphere – which offered fascinating insights into aspects of leadership, growth psychology, or structure, but in a completely different context. These provided powerful lessons, delivered entertainingly. The effect was highly inspiring and motivating and led to more people in the company searching for growth and improvements themselves. There was also a positive feedback loop; the more stories of growth success that were shared, the more success they inspired.

Later, the practice of creating short movie ‘remakes’ became a powerful tool. Each short movie would parody a well-known film or song, to communicate a business message. 

For example, ‘The Growthmother and The Prodfather’ illustrated the typical internal conflicts that can arise between product and growth teams. A playful version of Eminem’s 2000 hit track ‘Stan’ brought home the message of the new ‘multi-city’ flight search that was about to be launched at the time. The lyrics were entirely rewritten and a whole music video was created.

The ‘premiers’ of these movies at the bi-annual company updates became highly anticipated events by the employees and were a powerful method of communicating important messages to the entire organisation with humour.  

And the very act of making these movies, which took considerable resources, and always featured members of the company as actors, brought an additional sense of teamwork and only added to the humour even more.

Business inspiration can come from unlikely places; the story of how George Lucas made the first Star Wars films on a tiny budget and with little faith from the actors or Hollywood, was a powerful lesson in how working within tight constraints can sometimes deliver better results than with unlimited budgets.

 4. Enabling and Empowering Others

Instead of micromanaging, great growth leaders empower their team members to take ownership of their roles and contribute to the organisation's growth. They terraform the company – fostering a culture of trust, collaboration, and innovation – providing the required conditions for growth.

Real-life Example

Skyscanner took a 'bottom-up' rather than 'top-down' approach to leadership. Arranging the company into appropriately staffed tribes and squads, each team was empowered with the resources and freedom to fully own their area. The result was growth because of increased motivation, decreased blockers to delivery, and increased job satisfaction. Fostering independence and autonomy of work is underpinned by a sense of trust and a secure attachment between the senior leadership and their direct reports.

5. Feedback: direct but kind

The best growth leaders that I've worked with can give people the feedback they require to make improvements but deliver it kindly. Receiving feedback – especially negative feedback – is difficult for most people; great growth leaders can do it compassionately, yet also clearly, and provide any resources and support needed to make improvements.

It's a delicate balance, but those who can do it well can help their people make the necessary changes to their work, constructively, motivating their team to do even better.

Real-life Example

Whilst I was interim VP of Growth in a dynamic tech company where deadlines were tight and the pace relentless, I faced a challenging situation. The Head of Acquisition, though an exceptional specialist and a compassionate manager, struggled with organisation and meeting deadlines. 

This not only affected project timelines but also increased pressure on the team. The goal was to provide feedback in a way that motivated improvement without diminishing the individual's significant contributions to the team.

I chose to address this in a one-on-one meeting, creating a space that was private and free from distractions, emphasising the importance of the conversation. Here is an extract of the feedback I shared back then, with annotations on why I chose those particular words.

"I want to start by saying your expertise in SEO and acquisition is not just impressive; it's been a game-changer for us.”

• This acknowledges the individual's strengths first, creating a positive opening.

“Your ability to lead with compassion has set a tone in our team that's truly admirable.” 

• Further reinforces the positive impact of the individual's leadership style. 

“However, there's an area we need to address to harness your full potential and ensure our team's continued success.” 

• Constructively introduces the problem, without undermining the individual's value. 

“I've noticed challenges around planning and adherence to deadlines. This has led to some missed opportunities and has put additional pressure on the team.” 

• Clearly specifies the problem, linking it to its impact on the team and projects. 

“I believe that with your skills and drive, we can find a way to improve this.” 

• Expresses confidence in the individual's ability to improve, fostering a sense of partnership.

“Let's work together on strategies to enhance your organisational skills, perhaps by integrating project management tools or by delegating certain tasks to other team members.” 

• Offers specific solutions and support, indicating a collaborative approach to problem-solving. 

“I'm here to support you through this process, offering resources or additional training if needed.” 

• Reiterates support and willingness to provide resources, emphasising the leader's commitment to the individual's development. 

“This isn't just about deadlines; it's about maximising your incredible potential and ensuring our team's efforts are cohesive and impactful. How does that sound to you?" 

• Concludes with an open-ended question, inviting dialogue and participation in the solution.

This illustrates the ‘direct but kind’ approach. It starts by affirming the individual's strengths, carefully introduces the area needing improvement, and suggests collaborative solutions, all while expressing support and confidence in the individual's ability to overcome the challenge. 

This method aligns with the principles of constructive feedback, where the focus is on growth and development, rather than criticism, effectively unblocking a tricky situation and setting the stage for positive change. And if you’re curious to know, this feedback was well received and led to significant improvement in the called-out challenging areas.

6. Continuous Learners

The best growth leaders are lifelong learners themselves, constantly seeking new knowledge and skills to adapt to changing circumstances and stay ahead of the curve. And importantly, they encourage a culture of learning and development within their organisation.

Real-life Example

At several tech startups I worked for, the policy of continuous learning backed up by a company value of “growth comes from learning” was introduced. 

We created an annual learning budget and implemented a learning platform that could give easy access to instant courses, from highly specific skills to more general knowledge. 

People were also encouraged to submit requests for conferences or courses they thought would advance their skill set. We also created the practice of sharing back core learnings gained from any courses or conferences, so that everybody could benefit.

These policies enabled people to find satisfaction in learning a new skill, and they appreciated that the company was providing the opportunity. And in the medium to long term, this also benefited the company, as these people attained new and valuable skills which increased the value of their work.

If you would like to help your team or organisation develop skills for top growth leadership, I can help via my growth workshops or my growth mentoring programmes. See the full range of my growth services here.