Research
Horizon37 continually and proactively invest in research in order to stay at the forefront of leadership coaching.
Our goal is to help entrepreneurs, executive teams, investors, mentors and board members to improve their performance during the scale-up phase, while also discovering which interventions make the most difference – so that we always deliver the most impactful and effective coaching possible.
The Leadership Proliferation Threshold
No-one leading an innovation scale-up wants to join the 24/25 start-ups that don’t get past 50 people.
Our combined Horizon37 and Cranfield University research team – with input from over 100 scale-up leaders in the innovation business ecosystem – has examined the huge impact leadership can have on success and failure during scale-up.
We define the moment for a scale-up where unprepared leadership can pose the greatest risk to the business as the Leadership Proliferation Threshold (LPT). SPOILER: Leadership must proliferate beyond the Founder/CEO for the scale-up business to thrive beyond the LPT.
The full academic report documenting the research method and findings in detail is available: Read it here
Born or Made?
Can founders always lead scale-up businesses? How can we tell when the founder has what it takes to lead their radidly growing business?
With 50% of founders not making it past the three year mark as CEO, and an average UK business survival rate of just 41%, the statistics reflect the size of this leadership challenge.
We interviewed a cross section of current and former start up and scale up CEOs, investors, advisors, and those who interact with them to ask ‘Can founders lead scale up businesses?’. As coaches, we also asked what interventions make the most difference.
Can successful CEOs be ‘made’, and if so, how? – Read the full report here
Villains vs. Value
What really works on scale-up boards? Can “villains” be valuable board members?
Villains vs. Value provides a conceptual framework for directors to serve effectively on a growth business board, including the most effective behaviours and ways of thinking.
We ask provocative questions about ‘villainous’ board behaviour, and other significant behavioural styles – both good and bad – observed in general management.
A major finding from this research is that how members behave and contribute can make the biggest difference between value creation and value destruction (even if the right people are doing the right things to achieve the right purpose, boards can fail spectacularly). This research goes a step beyond defining how to behave, and helps members assess their motivations and mindsets to challenge their behaviours.
Which scale-up board archetype best describes you? – Read the full report here
Our recent articles
Prove, Defy, Generate
Leader: “Things are very tough….” [The very eloquent and articulate leader gives a strongly analytical and robust description of the impossible situation he is in.] Coach: “Wow, the stakeholders REALLY ARE that stuck in their ways/slow?” Leader: “Yes, I’ve tried everything. And you would not believe how dysfunctional they are.” Coach: “Have you tried challenging them directly?” Leader: “Yes,Continue reading “Prove, Defy, Generate”
Generating Resilience in Teams
Do you want to be on your A-game when it matters? Or your B-game 24/7? Leaders are valuing resilient teams more and more right now. They can adapt and innovate in the face of new challenges; beat the competition when the unexpected happens; and stay motivated and collaborative when the going gets tough. Why are stressors stressful? A stressorContinue reading “Generating Resilience in Teams”
Ecosystem Impact Review: The Pandemic Period 2020-22
Why are we doing this review now? We have always been committed to contributing positive and meaningful impact for scale-up leaders and their businesses. We want to be sure we are deploying our products and time where we have the greatest positive impact. As 2022 gets underway, we want to step back and reflect on what has gone wellContinue reading “Ecosystem Impact Review: The Pandemic Period 2020-22”
All on the same side: as business moves out of the bunkers, it’s time to focus on contribution and strengthen relationships
As the pandemic restrictions lift, businesses will look to surge ahead with their plans, be it launching a new product or moving into new markets. One thing is for certain – there will be plenty more surprises to come. That’s part of the territory for a start-up or a scale-up project, to run from one crisis to another. SuccessfulContinue reading “All on the same side: as business moves out of the bunkers, it’s time to focus on contribution and strengthen relationships”
How to stay laser-focussed by handling distractions more powerfully
Do you ever end the day frustrated with the amount you have achieved, or irritated with yourself for wasting time on the wrong things? No matter how organised you are, we all face a constant stream of opportunities to shift focus away from our planned work. Whether you have a number of requests for your time, or it’s yourContinue reading “How to stay laser-focussed by handling distractions more powerfully”
Maximising the value of your mentor relationship
The leaders we coach often sit on both sides of the mentoring relationship. Part of our work is to ensure that leaders engage and leverage a network, and when they invest in mentoring, they maximise the value of the relationship. The more effective mentors seem to have a magical combination of relevant experience and wisdom and an ability toContinue reading “Maximising the value of your mentor relationship”