In middle schools, many students are challenged because the focus of learning shifts from primarily technical functions (such as reading or mathematics) to a new requirement for assuming more executive functions. These executive functions are skills like prioritization, delegation, organization, collaboration, and work planning. We may all recall that age when long term assignments and projects suddenly became a lot more complex.
Businesses at this adolescent stage feel pressure from the same challenges. The strengths of the organization need to transform. The executive functions in any well-organized business become more essential every day. The company cannot rely solely on the success of its traditional product to solve all its problems. This is not to say that the company loses its identity, but it does go through an awkward period of change and adjustment to the new priorities at hand.
For example, the owner of a design firm may be a creative genius, but may also need help managing cash flow or setting up a quality assurance process. A brilliant engineering entrepreneur may have difficulty delegating work and is most likely unfamiliar with HR best practices. Some executives cannot navigate this change. Some may be emotionally tied to the earlier corporate culture or to their role as the singular heroic leader. As a result, their companies may either fail or eventually migrate to new ownership. Other leaders may fair better, but never be able to push the company into the growth mode which is necessary to attain business maturity in later years.
