Companies with more than 50 employees but less than 100 employees are in a tricky phase of growth – too big to behave like a start-up where everyone wears 10 hats and reports to the CEO but not big enought to afford the kinds of specialization and systems that come with a team of 100+. This phase is sometimes referred to as “the valley of death,” as many companies either stall or sell the business before growing past the other side. For those leaders who aspire to build a well-functioning team for the long term, here are four rules of thumb that might save you time and heartache: