166. From founder-led to process-driven: how to build a culture that scales

What this episode covers

In this episode, Ginny Critcher talks with Ben French, leadership development consultant and business coach, about what it really takes to transition an organisation from founder-led to a more structured, process-driven way of working. Drawing on their shared experience working with a global football organisation, Ben and Ginny explore the tension between preserving the culture that made a company successful and introducing the processes needed to help it grow — or survive contraction. They discuss when organisations typically need to make this shift, why getting the calibration of process right matters as much as having process at all, and how documenting culture and policy are really the same thing. Topics covered include: - Why organisations of around 10–30 people often hit a tipping point - The challenge of adapting central frameworks to work across different countries and cultures - How external consultants can help organisations ask the right questions — not just do the work - The role of decision-making clarity in shaping culture - How to communicate that policy is always a work in progress Ben also shares what he’s been working on since, including a project with the British government focused on embedding new behaviours as different parts of the Foreign Office come together. Find out more about Ben French at https://www.ben-french.com Visit Cherryleaf at https://www.cherryleaf.com