How to build the right team for business growth: Step 9 of The Business Owner's Handbook

The Right People on the Bus – Driving Performance with the Right Crew

You’ve mapped the route, set the sat nav, and you’re ready to drive your business forward. Now, it’s all about getting the right people on board – and in the right seats.

But this isn’t just about hiring. It’s about building a team that aligns with your vision, values, and where your business is heading. It might mean reshaping roles, retraining loyal team members, or having difficult conversations. It’s also an opportunity to press the reset button and design your business the way it needs to be.

At this stage, it’s no longer about who’s been with you since the start or who’s always done it that way.’ It’s about what your business needs to reach its next destination. That means building your team around your strategy, not the other way around.

Start with a clean slate

Now that your market audit has identified the real opportunities, it’s time to align them with your internal capabilities. Ask yourself: do we have the right skills, energy, and mindset to get there? If not, you’ve got two options: you can upskill or upgrade.

From this point, don’t let legacy roles or long-standing team dynamics dictate your structure. Instead, ask: If we were starting from scratch, how would we staff this business to achieve our goals? Define what success looks like in each role and build toward that.

Matt Levington, founder of Business Doctors and author of Breaking Big, calls this the 4 R strategy:

Release those who no longer fit your business model or values.
Retain the good people who align with your culture and are open to development.
Retrain where there’s potential but a skills gap.
Recruit to fill essential capability gaps.

Value and develop your people

Good people are worth keeping, but only if they align with your vision, values, and pace. Retraining and reassigning can work wonders if the attitude is right. Just make sure they feel valued and can see their future in your business.

Don’t be afraid to open the door

If someone’s holding you back or doesn’t fit the journey, you need to make a tough call. Hanging onto the wrong people is like driving with the handbrake on: frustrating, slow, and damaging over time.

Find the right talent

Finding strong candidates takes more than a LinkedIn post or a quick call to a recruiter. Matt’s advice? “Look under some rocks.” Go beyond the usual sources. Reach into networks you don’t normally tap. You want enough variety to be selective—but not so much that everyone looks the same.

Hire smart

Hire juniors on potential, seniors on specifics.

Bring in younger talent with the right attitude and room to grow. But when it comes to senior hires, be precise and look for proven expertise that complements your business direction.

New talent = new energy

Bringing in fresh people can be energising, especially when they challenge your thinking. Don’t shy away from senior hires who might outshine the current team. A great leader builds a stronger team, not a safer one.

Set clear roles and accountability.

Once your team is in place, make sure every seat on the bus has a clear job description, measurable goals, and personal accountability. That’s how you stay on track and pick up speed.

Set the course clearly

Once you’ve got the right people on the bus, make sure they know where they’re going. Define roles clearly, agree on objectives, measure progress, and hold each other accountable. High-performing teams know the destination and are motivated to get there.

Final thought

It’s tempting to build a business around personalities, especially in the early days. But sustainable growth comes from structure, clarity, and purpose. Getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats is one of the most powerful things you can do as a business leader. It takes courage, clarity, and commitment. But with the right team around you, the journey ahead becomes not just achievable but exciting.

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