The difference between growth roles and growth leadership

In Episode 6 of Scaling with Intent, Chris builds on the shift toward functional leadership by addressing one of the most commonly misunderstood areas in scaling businesses: the difference between growth roles and growth leadership.

Many SMEs hire “growth” roles expecting them to drive strategy, execution, and revenue simultaneously. Chris challenges this assumption, explaining that growth roles are designed to optimise and experiment within a system, not define it.

When understood properly, the distinction becomes clear: growth roles accelerate execution, while growth leadership provides direction, prioritisation, and structure.

The episode reinforces a critical point: without clear leadership, activity increases but impact remains inconsistent. It sets the foundation for the next discussion on how strong commercial leadership brings these functions together.