Growing pains. Is Your Leadership Bench Deep Enough?

Ben Kershaw

Scaling in regional New Zealand comes with unique challenges. Unlike big corporates with talent pipelines a mile long, many businesses outside the main centers have to work harder to find, develop, and retain strong leadership. It’s not just about filling a role—it’s about ensuring that leadership fuels growth, not stalls it.

According to Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends, 86% of business leaders say leadership is a critical issue, yet only 14% feel confident they have the right leaders in place. That’s like expecting a jet to take off with the handbrake on.

Leadership gaps can be sneaky. They don’t always show up as an obvious crisis but instead manifest in subtle (and expensive) ways:

Signs Your Leadership Bench Might Be Too Shallow:

• Decisions Bottleneck at the Top: If the CEO or business owner is still making every major call, you don’t have leaders—you have helpers.
• “We’ve Always Done It This Way” Thinking: If innovation feels slow and resistance to change is high, leadership isn’t evolving with the business.
• High Turnover in Key Teams: Poor leadership is one of the biggest drivers of attrition. Good people won’t stick around for unclear direction.
• Lack of Strategic Focus: If your leadership team is buried in day-to-day operations without making time for big-picture growth, you’re in survival mode—not scaling mode.

Growing Pains: Why Leadership Must Evolve with the Business

Many regional and privately owned businesses start with founder-led hustle, where roles evolve organically. But as you scale, leadership needs to shift from doing to directing, from reacting to planning.

Successful leaders in growing businesses must master:

• Strategic Thinking: Moving beyond firefighting to long-term planning.
• People Development: Leaders who don’t just manage but build high-performing teams.
• Change Management: The ability to navigate market shifts without losing momentum.
• Empowered Decision-Making: Strong leadership structures that prevent everything from landing back on the founder’s desk.

The Hidden Cost of Getting It Wrong

A bad leadership hire doesn’t just cost a salary—it can cost growth, culture, and reputation.

• Productivity Loss: Weak leadership creates inefficiencies and slows progress.
• Morale Damage: Poor leadership can unravel even the most engaged teams.
• Customer Impact: Leadership affects service delivery, innovation, and customer trust.
• Strategic Drift: Without a strong leadership vision, businesses risk stagnation.

Gallup research suggests that the cost of a bad manager can be up to 2.5 times their annual salary when considering lost productivity and disengagement. And in regional New Zealand, where the talent pool is smaller, a mis-hire can set you back significantly.

How Moxie Supports Businesses Through These Challenges

Regional businesses can’t always rely on a deep local talent pool, so leadership strategy needs to be proactive, not reactive. That’s where Moxie comes in.

• We Clarify Your Leadership Needs: What kind of leadership will drive your business forward? It’s not just about filling a gap—it’s about ensuring the role creates value.
• We Look Beyond Technical Skills: Great leaders bring adaptability, resilience, and vision—not just industry expertise.
• We Proactively Recruit Leaders: The best leaders aren’t always actively looking, which means finding the right fit often requires a strategic search.
• We Assess Cultural Alignment: The best leadership hire isn’t just about capability—it’s about values, vision, and alignment with your business.
• We Support Leadership Development: Finding the right leader is just the beginning—we help ensure they integrate successfully and scale with your business.
• We Specialize in Leadership Recruitment: Whether you need a strategic hire for a key role or a complete leadership overhaul, Moxie has the expertise to find the right leaders for your business.

A Common (and Costly) Leadership Misstep

A classic example: A successful manufacturing business in regional New Zealand promotes its top technical expert to a leadership role. They know the product inside and out, but they’ve never managed a team, handled strategic planning, or driven business growth. Six months later, there’s tension, projects are behind schedule, and employee engagement is slipping.

Promoting from within is great—but only if leadership skills exist (or are developed). Otherwise, businesses risk creating a leadership gap where there wasn’t one before. Moxie helps businesses avoid these costly mistakes by ensuring the right people are in the right roles, with the right support.

The ROI of Strong Leadership

Great leaders do more than just manage—they elevate the entire business:

• Drive Innovation: The right leaders create an environment where people think bigger.
• Boost Retention: Teams stay when they’re led by someone who inspires and supports them.
• Enhance Agility: Businesses that can pivot and adapt thrive in shifting markets.
• Shape Culture: Leadership defines how a company operates, innovates, and grows.

Future-Proofing Leadership for Regional Businesses

The future of leadership isn’t about hierarchy—it’s about impact. It’s about:

• Leading through uncertainty with confidence.
• Building collaboration across diverse teams and locations.
• Balancing data-driven decisions with human insight.
• Developing leaders who can scale with the business, not just fill a role.

Ready to Strengthen Your Leadership Team?

Growth is exciting—but only if you have the leadership team to sustain it. If your leadership bench isn’t deep enough, it might be time for a rethink.

At Moxie, we don’t just help you hire leaders—we help you build leadership strength for the long haul. Let’s find leaders who don’t just fill a position but who can shape the future of your business.