Founder Fundamentals 3/10 – Don’t Avoid

Avoidance disguises itself. As respect: "I won't interfere with my co-founder's domain." As helpfulness: "I'm just jumping in to close a gap." As pragmatism: "Now isn't the time for that conversation."

Truth is, avoidance is neither altruistic nor pragmatic. It’s merely sidestepping a pain point. And just like physical avoidance can lead to lasting postural damage (compensating for a sore knee can cause hip or spine problems), leadership avoidance can create structural problems far worse than the original discomfort.

That’s because an organisation – like a body – needs signal clarity to function well. And avoidance always creates signal ambiguity, particularly when it's about leadership alignment and the chain of command. Founders drifting into separate lanes rather than resolving disagreement: two truths. A founder bypassing a direct report: two authorities.

The organisation cannot mend this. It cannot un-avoid a founder’s avoidance. The ambiguity persists, and the organisation burns energy navigating it.

Already, this is costly. But the bigger problem is what happens when ambiguity is allowed to continue.

When there’s no single truth about what matters most for the company, people start doing what's best for themselves. They optimise locally – protecting their teams, their projects, their positions. They stop asking "what's best for the company?" because the answer depends on who you ask.

This is how politics takes root. Not through malice, but through leadership ambiguity. And once politics becomes the operating system, it's almost impossible to reverse.

Catching avoidance early is therefore crucial. This takes attention. But not much time. Thirty minutes of honesty with yourself, once a quarter, is enough. Mentally, go through every person in your leadership team, your direct reports, your co-founder. You will know when you’re avoiding.

Then act.

Founder disagreement? Surface it, argue it, commit to one view. Agree to revisit in a year if you must – but move as one until then. These discussions may take some time, but it’s time well spent. Founder misalignments are the most damaging, energy-wasting problem for a young company.

Leadership team member or direct report not performing? Level them up or replace them, but don’t bypass them. It will weigh on you until it is resolved. But not resolving only delays the inevitable - and hurts everyone involved until then. You’re borrowing time at compound interest.

Yes, it will be uncomfortable. But every time you move through discomfort rather than around it, you show the organisation what good looks like: issues get addressed, clarity wins, company comes before individual.

The organisation you build will reflect the discomfort you're willing to face. Great organisations are built with fearless honesty.