How Scaling Too Fast Can Dilute Your Company's Winning Culture

Jan de Vries · 2026-09-23

Let's talk about something that keeps a lot of leaders up at night: growth. It's the goal, right? More revenue, more team members, more impact. But what if the very thing you're chasing is quietly eroding the secret sauce that made you successful in the first place? I recently sat down with Erik Vermeulen, a behavioural strategist and Managing Director of Ridgeline Consulting. With over 20 years of experience advising companies on culture and leadership, Erik brings a unique perspective. His work isn't just from boardrooms; it's forged leading expeditions through some of the world's most demanding environments, where uncertainty isn't a theory—it's a daily reality. That blend of high-stakes adventure and corporate strategy shapes his whole approach. He looks at how people make decisions under real pressure, what truly separates a cohesive team from just a group of individuals, and why rapid growth can gradually weaken the distinctive culture that put a company on the map. ### What Adventure Leadership Teaches Us About Business Uncertainty So, what can trekking across a desert or climbing a mountain teach a CEO? "One of the big challenges in business today is how we deal with uncertainty," Erik starts. "We used to think adventure was defined by a specific, dramatic activity. But we found its essence is simpler: it's any undertaking where the outcome is uncertain." He makes a powerful point: "That is life. That is business." We build all these rituals, routines, and structures—our office layouts, our weekly meetings, our KPIs—to create a sense of control. To mask the fundamental uncertainty. But the truth is, we have no guarantee we'll be here next week or next quarter to hit those targets. "When I lead expeditions into unknown territories, that high degree of uncertainty is just the environment," Erik explains. "That's why adventure is such a powerful lens for looking at leadership, teams, and behavior. It strips away the illusion of total control." ### The Two Markers of a Truly High-Performing Team What's the difference between a collection of talented people and a genuinely great team? Erik says there are two main things. - **First, it's culture:** the unwritten rules of the game. What's accepted? What's not? Which behaviors move the team toward its goal, and which pull it away? Great teams are crystal clear on these boundaries. - **Second, and this is more controversial:** great teams know where they start and where they end. He observes that in many corporate settings, teams just... persist. They work together year after year, chasing the next target or deal in an endless cycle. "Really great teams have the ability to set a specific goal, follow the process to achieve it, and then *reset*," Erik notes. "They have a defined beginning and a very definite end to that piece of teamwork before they regroup and tackle the next challenge. That clarity is liberating." ### Why Growth Is the Beginning of Your Culture Problem Here's where it gets tricky for scaling companies. Every organization has a growth metric. Be bigger, better, sell more. "Growth is where your problem starts in terms of culture," Erik states bluntly. He uses a simple metaphor to explain: think of your original, strong company culture as a concentrated cordial or syrup. The glass you pour it into is your business structure. When you're small, that culture is potent, distinctive, flavorful. But as you grow, you have to keep filling that bigger glass. You add more water—new people, new processes, new departments. If you're not incredibly intentional, you just keep diluting that original flavor. The essence that made you unique becomes fainter and fainter with every hire and every expansion. So, what should leaders watch for as they scale? It's about vigilance. It's about consciously reinforcing those core unwritten rules with every new team member, instead of assuming the culture will just 'happen.' It's recognizing that growth isn't just a numbers game—it's a cultural challenge that requires as much strategy as your financial plan. The pace of change isn't slowing down. Leaders who can help their people adapt, who can maintain that team clarity and cultural strength even as the glass gets bigger, are the ones who build something that lasts.