About Meg Crosby: Meg Crosby is Co-Founder and Principal of PeopleCap Advisors, where she helps high-growth companies and private equity firms scale through strong leadership and people strategy. Formerly with Google’s HR M&A team, she led integration for 35+ acquisitions globally. Meg is a strategic advisor to CEOs, a board member across corporate and nonprofit sectors, and co-author of Running the Gauntlet. She’s known for aligning people and culture to drive sustainable growth.

About Howard Cleveland: Howard Cleveland is the Co-Founder of PeopleCap Advisors and a leadership coach who helps companies align people strategy with business growth. With 25+ years of consulting, coaching, and legal experience, he’s known for his strengths-based, clarity-driven approach. Howard is a certified coach and trusted advisor to leaders worldwide, and co-author of Running the Gauntlet, a framework for navigating leadership challenges in scaling organizations.

In this episode, Dan, Meg, and Howard discuss:

• The evolving nature of leadership during different stages of organizational growth
• How intentional culture shaping drives long-term business success
• The strategic role of communication and team alignment in scaling companies
• Integrating people-focused strategies in private equity investments

Key Takeaways:

• The Growth Gauntlet framework maps six organizational imperatives—vision, culture, leadership, talent, structure, and communication—across four distinct business growth stages.
• Allowing toxic high performers to stay—despite their contributions—erodes morale, weakens culture, and sends the message that short-term wins matter more than long-term health.
• Leaders who fail to adapt to growing complexity often hinder their companies’ progress, making it crucial to delegate, restructure teams, or shift roles as the business evolves.
• Private equity investors who prioritize leadership and culture due diligence, alongside financial reviews, are better positioned to lower risk, speed integration, and maximize portfolio returns.

"Once you realize that someone is not coachable, you just can't waste any time—you have to defend your culture and get them out." — Meg Crosby

"As the company grows, communication has to become multi-directional—it’s the lifeblood of any organization." — Howard Cleveland

Connect with Meg Crosby & Howard Cleveland: 

Website: https://www.peoplecap.com/

The Growth Gauntlet: https://www.peoplecap.com/growth-gauntlet/

Running the Gauntlet: https://www.peoplecap.com/book/

Meg’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-thomas-crosby/

Howard’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardcleveland/

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peoplecap/

Connect with Dan Hollis: 

Website: www.themagicofselling.net

Email: [email protected]

Business Number: 973-862-8331

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