You may not have heard of David Spathaky. He created his Guinness record live on TV in 1996 and at the time of writing, it still stands. His feat demands extreme discipline, coordination and timing. And that's why we think that he should probably be the Patron Saint of CEOs of scaling companies.
David Spathaky spun 108 plates simultaneously, in Bangkok, Thailand on live TV. He was assisted by Debbie Woolley.
If you are the CEO of an IT Engineering services company, you will strongly relate to David Spathaky. Leading a company through the complex journey of scaling is much like spinning dozens of fragile plates. Each plate represents a critical aspect of your business—strategic vision, talent development, client relationships, financial stability, and culture. The slightest lapse in attention, coordination, or timing can send everything crashing down. And like Debbie Woolley’s role in Spathaky’s performance, you must rely on your team to keep those plates in motion, requiring trust and precise delegation.
Scaling isn't just about growing numbers—it’s about expanding capability while preserving balance. It means being constantly aware of which plates are wobbling, which need more spin, and which are stable for the moment. And it means making sure that you, as the CEO, aren’t trying to spin all 108 plates alone.
In some ways, Spathaky's job was easier. He was just trying to spin as many plates as he could and all the plates were the same and he didn't have to worry about the impact of one plate on the other. For you, on the other hand, the reality is far more complex. Each plate represents a different aspect of the business—strategic direction, leadership, client management, financial health—and these plates are interconnected. A misstep with one can disrupt the balance of others, causing a chain reaction that threatens the entire system. This is why CEOs need a framework to navigate these complexities and ensure sustainable growth. The SCALE framework helps bring structure and clarity, guiding CEOs to manage and align these critical aspects cohesively, so that each 'plate' can be spun effectively without compromising the stability of the others.
Strategy (S) – Spinning the Vision and Direction Plate
In the world of IT and Engineering services, strategic leadership is the cornerstone that sets the trajectory for sustainable growth. The CEO must ensure that the company's vision is not only clear and compelling but also adaptable to industry shifts and competitive landscapes. Spinning the strategic vision plate means keeping the entire team aligned with long-term objectives and fostering a unified direction that resonates with stakeholders at every level.
For founder-CEOs, the demands of daily operations can easily cloud strategic focus. During the initial days, the strategy was simple - survive. You could do this by executing - whatever came your way, to the best of your abilities. As you get ready to scale, execution becomes even more important. But your choices in executing become critical.Â
The pressure to deliver on client expectations, manage teams, and oversee project execution can pull attention away from the bigger picture. This creates a risk of strategic drift, where the company’s growth is reactive rather than proactive. Additionally, without a clear, communicated strategy, teams can become fragmented, pursuing objectives that may not align with the overarching company goals.
We are big fans of the simplicity of Laffley and Martin in seeing strategy as a cascade of choices.Â
We often see CEOs or founders to have a loose definition and fuzzy idea about these choices. And that is also not shared with the rest of the leaders and the team. To spin this strategic plate effectively, CEOs must prioritize time for strategic thinking and long-term planning. Here are some key approaches to maintain strategic clarity:
Develop a Comprehensive Roadmap:
Craft a roadmap that outlines short-term milestones and long-term goals. This document should be flexible enough to evolve but robust enough to provide clear direction.
Break down the roadmap into actionable phases that align with the company’s capabilities and market trends. This helps the team understand the steps needed to reach key objectives and keeps everyone on the same page.
Foster Strategic Alignment:
Ensure that strategic goals are translated into team-level and department-level objectives. Alignment means that everyone, from frontline engineers to department heads, knows how their work contributes to the company’s vision.
Use regular strategy check-ins to recalibrate and reaffirm commitment to the vision. This practice helps reinforce a sense of shared purpose and prevents teams from veering off course.
Engage Leadership and Stakeholders:
Strategic leadership isn’t a solo act. Involve senior leaders and key stakeholders in strategy discussions to gain insights and build a sense of ownership. This collaborative approach ensures that different perspectives are considered, making the strategy more comprehensive and resilient.
Regularly update stakeholders, including investors and board members, on strategic progress. Transparent communication builds trust and keeps everyone committed to the strategic path.
Adaptability Without Losing Focus:
The tech industry is known for its rapid pace of change. While staying focused on the strategic roadmap is essential, CEOs need to remain adaptable to market shifts and technological advancements.
Use scenario planning to prepare for potential changes in the market. This helps the team pivot quickly when necessary without losing sight of the long-term vision.
Leverage Data and Feedback:
Make data-driven decisions by incorporating analytics and feedback mechanisms that provide real-time insights into market trends, client satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
Regularly review performance metrics and adjust strategies based on evidence, not just intuition. This will help you identify areas that need more attention and adjust your strategic approach accordingly.
Consider a mid-sized IT services firm that was growing rapidly but hit a plateau. The CEO realized that while the company was thriving in operational execution, strategic misalignment was holding them back. By taking a step back and refocusing on a comprehensive strategic roadmap, involving department heads in quarterly strategy reviews, and ensuring the vision was communicated at all levels, the company was able to renew its growth trajectory. This proactive approach helped them secure larger contracts and expand their service portfolio, proving that strategic leadership pays dividends.
Strategic leadership is about more than setting goals; it’s about spinning the vision plate in a way that keeps momentum steady, even when the environment changes. By embracing a structured approach to strategy, CEOs can avoid reactive decision-making and instead guide their company confidently through the complexities of scaling. With the SCALE framework’s focus on strategic leadership, you can create and sustain the balance needed to grow effectively.
Communication (C) – Spinning the Culture and Internal Messaging Plate
Communication is the glue that holds a scaling company together. For founder-CEOs, establishing clear, consistent, and transparent communication channels is essential for maintaining alignment, reinforcing culture, and ensuring that every team member understands their role in the company’s growth journey. Spinning the communication plate involves creating an environment where information flows seamlessly and everyone feels engaged and informed.
The Chief Executive Officer has to play the role of the Chief Reminder Officer - being the keeper of the vision, the CEO has to constantly reinforce the message internally - there should be as much attention given to internal audiences as to external markets, when it comes to promotion of your products and services.
Scaling companies often face the problem of fragmented communication. As the team grows, the once-simple method of communicating directly with each team member becomes impractical. Information can become siloed, leading to inconsistencies in understanding goals, processes, and expectations. Poor communication can quickly erode trust and diminish the company culture, leading to misalignment and decreased morale.
Here’s how CEOs can spin the communication plate effectively:
Establish Clear Communication Channels:
Implement structured communication channels that fit the company’s size and complexity. This could include regular all-hands meetings, weekly team updates, and dedicated digital platforms for announcements and discussions.
Ensure that communication is a two-way street. Create spaces for feedback, questions, and contributions from every team level.
Craft a Unified Message:
The CEO must serve as the primary communicator of the company's vision and strategy. Consistent messaging helps reinforce strategic objectives and aligns the company culture with its growth trajectory.
Develop core messaging that managers and department heads can use to keep their teams aligned with the larger goals. This consistency minimizes misunderstandings and ensures that all departments are rowing in the same direction.
Leverage Technology for Efficient Communication:
Utilize communication tools that facilitate clear and immediate information sharing. Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Asana can centralize updates, project status, and key discussions, reducing the reliance on email and fragmented communication.
Encourage the use of shared documentation for transparency. Maintain up-to-date repositories for SOPs, project details, and strategic updates so that teams can access accurate information at any time.
Promote Transparency and Trust:
Regularly share insights into the company’s progress, challenges, and wins. This transparency builds trust, fosters inclusivity, and makes employees feel like they’re an integral part of the company’s journey.
Celebrate both company milestones and individual or team achievements. Recognizing efforts publicly can reinforce a positive culture and motivate teams to stay engaged.
Feedback Loops for Continuous Improvement:
Establish feedback loops that allow employees to voice concerns, share ideas, and provide input on processes and strategies. Regular feedback sessions or anonymous surveys can reveal hidden issues and opportunities for improvement.
Act on the feedback you receive to show that employee voices matter. This reinforces a culture of communication and encourages further participation.
A tech. services firm struggling with team alignment introduced monthly town halls led by the CEO, complemented by weekly departmental huddles. These meetings created a rhythm where updates were shared, questions were answered, and strategies were reinforced. The company saw a marked improvement in morale and project alignment, which resulted in faster project turnarounds and higher client satisfaction.
Alignment (A) – Spinning the Operational and Process Plate
Alignment is about ensuring that the entire organization is moving cohesively toward shared objectives. For a scaling company, this means having well-defined processes and operational structures that support rapid growth while maintaining quality and efficiency.
Spinning this plate requires the CEO to ensure that teams and departments don’t operate in silos but instead work in harmony with each other and the company’s overarching strategy.
As companies scale, the complexity of operations increases. Processes that worked well for a smaller team can become bottlenecks as the company grows. Additionally, misalignment between departments can lead to duplicated efforts, missed deadlines, and conflicts over resources. CEOs need to prevent these issues by reinforcing alignment across all teams.
To keep the alignment plate spinning smoothly, consider the following:
Define and Document Processes:
Ensure that all critical processes are documented and easily accessible. This reduces dependency on tribal knowledge and helps new hires get up to speed faster. (Basking in ‘tribal knowledge’ is fine but how many tribes do you know that have scaled their influence beyond a small group, without documenting their way of life?)Â
Establish a culture where processes are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current practices and lessons learned.
Promote Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Encourage teams from different departments to collaborate on projects and initiatives. Cross-functional teams can bring diverse perspectives and improve problem-solving, leading to more effective outcomes.
Implement project management systems that allow for transparent task tracking and ownership. This fosters accountability and ensures that everyone is aware of dependencies and progress.
Set Clear Expectations and KPIs:
Align every department’s goals with the company’s strategic objectives. Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success and provide a clear framework for accountability.Â
Regularly review these KPIs and adjust as necessary to align with changing priorities or market conditions.
Reduce Silos with Integrated Communication:
Integrate communication between departments to prevent silos. Regular inter-departmental meetings can help keep teams informed about other teams’ projects and objectives, promoting a more unified approach.
Create forums for cross-department updates, ensuring that departments know how their work impacts others and vice versa.
Empower Leaders to Drive Alignment:
Department heads and team leads should be champions of alignment. Provide them with the tools and training they need to understand the company’s strategic vision and translate it into action within their teams.
Establish mechanisms for shared leadership and decision-making that encourage collaboration and shared ownership of outcomes.
A rapidly scaling software development firm introduced a central project management tool that allowed different departments—development, marketing, and sales—to track their contributions to product launches. This integration reduced confusion, ensured deadlines were met, and improved the overall quality of releases. As a result, they achieved faster time-to-market without compromising quality.
Leadership (L) – Spinning the Talent Development and Empowerment Plate
Effective leadership is crucial as a company scales. The CEO’s job is to cultivate a strong leadership team capable of driving the company forward and handling the complexities that come with growth. Spinning the leadership plate means nurturing and empowering leaders who can maintain the company’s vision, make critical decisions, and inspire their teams.
Founder-CEOs often find it difficult to let go of control and trust others to take the reins. This can lead to burnout and a bottleneck in decision-making. Additionally, scaling requires more leaders who are equipped to manage larger teams and navigate the challenges of a bigger organization. Promoting the right individuals and developing leadership capabilities are essential but challenging tasks.
In order to scale, every leader has to free up their bandwidth so that they can take up more of what their leader is doing. When this happens, it opens up capacity for the org. to take on more and scale.Â
Here are ways to spin the leadership plate effectively:
Identify and Nurture Future Leaders:
Create a leadership development program that identifies promising team members and provides them with the skills they need to step into larger roles.
Implement mentoring programs where experienced leaders can guide potential leaders, transferring knowledge and building confidence.
Empower Leaders with Autonomy:
Trust your leaders to make decisions within their areas of responsibility. Autonomy fosters innovation and speeds up decision-making.
Provide clear boundaries and guidelines within which leaders can operate independently, ensuring alignment with overall company strategy.
Invest in Leadership Training:
Offer targeted leadership training programs that focus on soft skills like communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution, as well as strategic thinking and resource management.
Encourage leaders to attend industry conferences, workshops, and courses to stay informed and motivated.
Set a Standard of Accountability:
Foster a culture where leaders are accountable for their teams’ successes and failures. This not only develops resilience but also builds a sense of ownership.
Use regular one-on-one check-ins and leadership meetings to assess progress, discuss challenges, and offer support where needed.
Create Pathways for Growth:
Ensure that leaders have clear career pathways that align with their skills and aspirations. This motivates them to stay engaged and grow with the company.
Recognize and reward leadership achievements to reinforce positive behavior and inspire others to step up.
A medium-sized engineering services company launched a leadership development journey aimed at preparing senior engineers for management roles. The program included mentorship, strategic project assignments, and workshops on leading high-performing teams. As the company scaled, they had a pool of prepared leaders who could take on greater responsibilities, allowing the CEO to focus on strategic initiatives without micromanaging daily operations.
Execution (E) – Spinning the Client Management and Financial Stability Plate
Execution is where strategic plans come to life. It encompasses managing client expectations, ensuring financial stability, and delivering on promises. Spinning the execution plate means maintaining high standards in both client-facing and internal operations to sustain growth without overextending resources or compromising quality.
As companies scale, the complexity of managing client relationships grows. The CEO must ensure that client expectations are met while scaling resources and teams. Additionally, financial stability becomes harder to manage as investments in growth need to be balanced with maintaining healthy cash flow. Missteps in either area can lead to strained client relationships or financial instability.
To spin the execution plate effectively, consider the following approaches:
Strengthen Client Management Practices:
Develop a client management strategy that segments clients based on their needs and potential for growth. This ensures that key clients receive the attention they need while maintaining efficiency.
Implement client success teams to handle day-to-day interactions and proactively address client concerns, allowing the CEO and senior leaders to focus on strategic initiatives.
Ensure Consistent Quality:
Establish a quality control system that applies to all deliverables. This ensures that even as you scale, clients receive the same high level of service they’ve come to expect.
Encourage teams to adopt a culture of continuous improvement, where feedback is used to refine processes and outputs.
Maintain Financial Oversight:
Create a robust financial strategy that includes both short-term budgeting and long-term investment planning. This helps ensure that the company has the cash flow needed to fund growth initiatives.
Use financial dashboards and regular reporting to monitor performance metrics and make data-driven decisions that prevent overextending resources.
Optimize Resource Allocation:
Identify areas where resources can be allocated more efficiently without affecting client satisfaction or project outcomes. This may include automating routine tasks or outsourcing non-core functions.
Regularly review resource use to identify opportunities for better allocation as the company scales.
Balance Growth with Sustainability:
Scaling quickly can be tempting, but it’s important to balance rapid growth with sustainable practices. Ensure that each growth step is supported by both financial and operational stability.
Avoid overpromising to clients if the internal team is not equipped to deliver without strain. Manage expectations to protect both client relationships and team well-being.
A growing tech. services firm implemented a resource allocation review that helped them identify inefficiencies in their project delivery model. It also gave the CEO insights on project profitability. By reallocating resources and investing in client success tools, they improved project timelines and increased client satisfaction. Their financial dashboards provided real-time insights into cash flow, allowing the CEO to make informed decisions that supported sustainable growth.
Whenever you feel tired and weary about the no. of plates you need to spin, apply this framework and remember that you don't have to worry about breaking Spathaky's world record of spinning plates.
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