I was wrong about Founder Charisma
Charisma can win a room. It does not scale a company. Here is what worked instead.
In the early days at Hydropothecary we faced a recall. It was a hard moment. Sébastien, my co founder and our CEO, was on a trip. Many of our team spoke French as their first language. We met in an empty greenhouse. People were scared. Questions flew. Who did this. How did it happen. What does it mean for my job.
My head of HR translated. I spoke with the team and took every question. I explained what would happen next. The recall steps. The cost to the business. The work ahead to win back trust with the regulator, our clients, and the public. I promised we would weather the storm. In that moment I realised something important. They did not need a show. They did not need a big speech. They needed simple facts, real answers, and a clear plan.
Here is why I was wrong about founder charisma and what I learned.
Why charisma was not enough
When people feel threat or uncertainty the brain narrows. We pay more attention to risk. We do not process long messages well. A big inspiring talk can feel good in the moment. It does not help people remember what to do next week.
Charisma creates attention. Systems create behaviour. If you want a result that lasts past the applause you need clarity, control, and consistency.
Clarity means people know the goal, the tasks, and who owns each one.
Control means they have the tools and the authority to act.
Consistency means the same message shows up in calendars, checklists, and scoreboards every single week.
In a recall the team needed those three things more than a great speech.
What works better than a show
After that greenhouse meeting we focused on rhythm and trust. Here are the simple moves that made the difference.
Put the plan in writing
One page. What we know. What we do not know. The next actions. The owner for each action. The date we will report back.
Decide who decides
List the few decisions that matter. Name a single owner for each one. Name who must be consulted. Name who only needs to be informed. This reduces slowdowns and cuts politics.
Set a weekly operating rhythm
One short standup for progress and blockers. One weekly review for metrics and risks. One monthly deep dive for root causes and improvements. Same time. Same agenda. Start and end on time.
Make the scoreboard visible
Track the few measures that tell the truth. Quality. Client impact. Time to respond. Open actions. Greenhouse style whiteboard or a simple shared sheet. The point is visibility.
I spoke last
Leaders often speak first. It kills ideas. I asked questions. I listened. Then I closed with a summary and the next steps. People left with ownership.
Reward truth and course correction
When someone raised a problem early we thanked them. When a plan failed we fixed it and captured the lesson. No drama. This built psychological safety and speed.
What changed
The mood in the building shifted from fear to focus. People knew the plan. They could see progress. Leaders who were quiet before started to lead. Clients saw steady communication. Regulators saw clean follow through. We earned back trust the same way any team does. One clear step at a time.
At home the change showed up as well. Fewer late night heroics. More energy for my kids. Less noise in my head. Charisma burns bright. Rhythm and trust help you sleep.
A quick test for founders
Try this in your very next meeting.
Before the meeting write the goal, the three actions, and the single owner for each action.
In the meeting ask the team to present the plan. You speak last.
End with what we will see by next week and where the plan will be tracked.
Now score yourself the next day. If people are sending you private messages to ask what to do you have charisma creep. If the plan is moving without you you are building a real system.
If you fail the test, do this tomorrow. Put the plan in writing. Name owners. Set a simple weekly rhythm. Move one decision out of your hands and let a leader run it while you watch the numbers.
The lesson I wish I knew sooner
Charisma can create belief. Systems create results. When pressure rises do not put on a show. Tell the truth. Write the plan. Give the team the pen. Then keep the beat until the work is done.
If you are a founder in the lower middle market and you feel stuck between being the face of the company and being the builder of the company, reach out. I can help you turn a good room into a good system that scales.