Scaling a team isn’t a straight line upward. Every new hire creates an inevitable productivity dip before they can accelerate your momentum, a reality many leaders overlook. Onboarding adds complexity, learning curves and adaptation time, and even the best talent needs months, not weeks, to become net positive. Leaders who misjudge this natural slowdown risk frustration, burnout and stalled growth.

Sustainable acceleration happens when you hire with intention: timing new roles strategically, preparing systems for integration and building clarity around the first 90 days. True leadership lies in embracing the temporary slowdown, protecting culture and creating the conditions for people to grow into impact, not rushing them into performance.

Read the full article on LinkedIn.