BUILD SYSTEMS THAT CARRY YOUR COMPANY

Every founder builds systems, whether they mean to or not. Some are designed with intent and others just emerge over time. Both shape how your company runs, what your people believe, and how decisions actually get made.

The challenge is unspoken systems often carry as much weight as the ones you deliberately design. The way decisions get made in the moment, the behaviors that goes unchecked, the shortcuts you let slide — all of it becomes part of how your company works. And those systems teach your team what’s really acceptable.

That’s why scaling isn’t just about having a clear Why. It’s about embedding that Why into the structures, agreements, norms, and processes that hold your company together. Without systems that reinforce your purpose, even the strongest Why gets buried in the chaos of the day-to-day.

Read more in Part 6: Designing Systems to Carry Your Why.

When you really pay attention to how your company is built, you don’t just get efficiency. You build alignment, earn trust, and create something that lasts — even when you're not in the room.

PERSPECTIVES

“An individual without information can’t take responsibility. An individual with information can’t help but take responsibility."
— Jan Carlzon, Former CEO of SAS Group

MARK MY WORDS

What you tolerate eventually becomes your company’s standard. The shortcuts you let slide, the behaviors you look past, the systems you never quite get around to fixing — all of these shape your culture.

As founders, our work isn’t just to inspire our Ideal Stakeholders with a compelling Why but also to make sure the systems around us reinforce it. That means paying attention when something feels off and addressing it before it becomes part of the culture.

Designing strong systems isn’t about bureaucracy. It’s about keeping your teams aligned and giving them the clarity to act with confidence. When you do that well, you create an environment where trust and accountability are the default, not the exception. And that’s the kind of environment that endures.

ON THE CALENDAR

The Data Workshop — Sponsored by Ninety
Turning data into decisions isn’t about more numbers. It’s about knowing which ones matter and how to use them to run the business.

That’s why I’m glad Ninety is sponsoring The Data Workshop, led by Angela Kalemis and Mark Stanley. If you’re running on EOS^®, or thinking about it, this full-day session will help you turn data into clarity and results.

[Save your seat] Use code ninety for $90 off.

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD

In case you missed it, here’s more from Founder’s Framework:

How Great Leaders Shift from Feedback to Feedforward

Feedback looks backward. Feedforward points to what’s possible. In this piece, I share how truthful, specific, and positive conversations build trust and create the conditions for real growth.

[Read Now]

A reminder that the best systems don’t just serve today, they’re built for tomorrow. This track is about growth, self-trust, and designing a future you actually want to live in. 

YOUR FEEDFORWARD MATTERS

I’m always working to make Founder’s Framework more useful, more relevant, and more founder-first. If you’ve gotten something out of it, I’d love to hear from you.

You might even see your review featured in a future issue or help shape the next topic.

[Share Your Thoughts]