Intense efforts are usually based on foresight, tremendous focus, and rallying like-minded people to the cause. It's not a surprise that communities tend to exhibit energies, and care for collective wellbeing with an eye on the cause they are together for.
Such camaraderie reflects the culture of the community. A sense of belonging is unmissable and everyone is willing to throw themselves lengths and breadths for the common cause. Communities (and early-stage organizations) have the power of creating impactful ripples and contributions.
Communities (and early-stage organizations) tend to have one thing in common. They have an internal culture that resists any change. So when they feel the need to grow and expand, their resistance to keeping the status quo is most evident. Embracing change means, the view of insiders and those outsiders eager to become the new insiders is at play. The collision often means that the intense cause for which the effort was organized begins to dilute. It's unavoidable.
The only choice then is to give in to the resistance and maintain the status quo and not grow. Or be gracious and let the outsides become the insiders. But then be prepared to let the dilution take place. That's the only way growth takes place.
Most early efforts (communities or organizations) when faced with growth pressures make a choice between the two. It's important to recognize that it comes at a cost.
What then matters is the clarity with which the decision-maker makes that choice. They need to understand what causes the growth pressure. It's the people who have been around or is it due to the widespread acceptance of the intense cause that makes beneficiaries ask for more. The understanding of what the growth is for is what differentiates between outcomes that follow.
Someone needs to show strong acumen and leadership and communicate what defines growth and what it means to the very fabric of the early stage community or the organization.
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