Create a strong culture if you want to scale

What makes a healthy and rapidly scaleable company differentiate itself from the pack? The answer is a strong, positive internal culture that is led by example from the top, and bought into as a concept and a ‘way of being’ by everyone who works for the business. A great example of how establishing such a culture can make a big, bold vision a reality can be seen in the example of the tech-based digital disruptor of the early 2000s, Skype. The founders believed from the outset in establishing a unique culture that would enable a rapid and healthy scale-up. As the company evolved from startup to significant industry disruptor, the company’s unique internal culture provided the anchor. With a focus on having a global mindset, a revolutionary ambition, a distrust of hierarchy, and an absolute obsession with customers, this culture was carried by the business and all its employees across the world as it expanded. Though Skype as a business evolved as it grew into so many different global markets, the fundamental tenets of Skype’s culture remained. The lesson for women entrepreneurs to learn here is that if you want to scale your business, and take your employees along with you on the crazy journey ahead, creating a strong culture internally driven by a big vision, is essential.