Truth, Lies and Work 275. Why your 13th hire is like puberty (and what to do about it), with Steve Kemish
What happens when a small, tight-knit team suddenly starts to grow fast?
This week on Truth, Lies & Work, we’re joined by Steve Kemish to talk about the most uncomfortable phase of company growth. The moment when your business moves from a handful of people to a real organisation. Steve calls it the puberty of a company and if you have ever scaled a team, you will know exactly what he means.
Steve has grown a marketing agency from a small team into a business approaching 50 people. In this conversation, he shares what leaders rarely talk about when growth accelerates. The identity crisis, the culture wobble, the communication breakdowns and the leadership shifts that suddenly become unavoidable.
This episode is packed with practical advice for founders, leaders and managers navigating rapid growth.
Key Takeaways
Why growth changes everything
Many founders assume growth is purely positive. In reality, scaling introduces new complexity overnight. Communication becomes harder. Informal processes stop working. Leaders who once knew everything now have to learn to let go.
The “puberty phase” of organisations
Steve explains why the jump from around 13 to 20 employees is a major turning point. This is when businesses must move from instinct and intuition to structure and systems. Without that shift, chaos quickly follows.
The leadership identity shift
The skills that help you start a business are not the same skills needed to scale one. Founders must evolve from doers into leaders, from decision-makers into decision-enablers.
Culture under pressure
Growth puts pressure on culture. New hires bring fresh perspectives, expectations and habits. Leaders must become intentional about culture rather than relying on “how things have always been.”
Communication becomes the biggest challenge
As teams grow, assumptions and informal conversations stop working. Leaders must learn to communicate clearly, consistently and at scale.
Why this episode matters
If you are hiring quickly, planning to scale or feeling the growing pains of expansion, this conversation offers a roadmap for navigating one of the most challenging phases of leadership.
Connect with Steve Kemish
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skemish/
Website: http://www.intermedia-global.com
Connect with the show
Follow Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott/
Follow Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com
Website: https://truthliesandwork.com
Mental health resources
UK Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org
US: https://988lifeline.org
International: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
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