Leadership - ScaleUp Institute

Leadership

Scaleups value the support that the scaleup ecosystem offers to address this challenge and prefer to have this support delivered a local level. However, scaleups outside the South East continue to feel under-served.

Building the leadership and management capacities of the senior team continues to be the focus for scaleup leaders.

Scaleups are increasingly looking for support from non-executive directors (34%). They also want to develop their existing leadership team by training (47%) and / or by recruiting (42%) experienced growth leaders into the executive team.

Peer networks and mentors remain a vital resource

Peer-to-peer networks remain the most important form of external help most valued by scaleups.

Six out of ten scaleup leaders report having a mentor to provide guidance and support to senior management, of whom 9 out of 10 find that guidance useful. Nearly one-third (31%) of those who do not have a mentor would like one but are unsure of how to find one.

Nearly half of all scaleup leaders (47%) believe that most of the available money and business advice is in London and the South East. These regional disparities demonstrate the need for further evolution of the scaleup ecosystem around all parts of the UK.

Demand for public sector support increases

The demand for easier access to public sector support has increased in volume since last year’s survey. Practically half of all scaleups want easier access to Growth Hubs and LEPs (48%) and public sector funding for innovation and R&D (47%), and four out of ten want easier access to general business support (40%) and Innovate UK (38%).

More than half (53%) of scaleups believe it is important to continue public sector funding to replace EU schemes for innovation and R&D. Such schemes often facilitate innovative longer-term projects.

Two in ten scaleups have collaborated in the past 3 years with universities or research institutions to develop a new product or service.

Many scaleups also value international partners to foster growth. 30% have collaborated with international partners in the past 3 years to develop a new product or service.

Page URL: https://www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk/articles/leadership/

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