Why the steps to success are uneven

Christian Muntean Sept. 10, 2023

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Leaders tend to mythologize growth. Most really want it. A few don't. Very few understand it.

To understand what drives growth, it helps to dispel key myths first.

Here are three major growth myths.

Myth #1: We can leap into success.

The belief that with the right "something," unending, unprecedented growth will extend forever into the heavens.

"Something" might be a new product, method, employee, acquisition, partner, spending bill, technology….

Some leaders wait for a magical something: A shift in the economy, for the market to finally realize how special they are, for God to make everything work out for them.

Others plan the snot out of success. They have unending Excel sheets that prove success is out there. They know, and you know, you can't argue with Excel.

OK, this isn't a complete myth. A few YouTube musicians do grow up to become superstars. Mark Zuckerberg is a real thing. Or person.

But for all practical purposes, it's a myth. And (hard truth here) exquisitely few people are able to handle or sustain sudden success of that nature. Their mostly likely outcome is to crash and burn.

Not trying to be a downer. Just saying....

Myth #2: I can baby-step my way into success.

Some leaders dream of building a comfortable little system. One that will produce reliable, manageable growth year over year.

They usually target between 10% and 20%. Those are numbers I hear a lot.

No boats need to be rocked. No eggs must be broken. Just steady, easy-to-deal-with success. Forever.

They don't have the excited fever-dream quality of leaders wrestling with Myth #1. They chart out growth curves that are nice and smooth. No aggressive spikes.

20% growth over five years means you will double your revenues. If you aren't ready for it, the curve only looks gentle.

Some companies, usually smaller ones, might be able to double revenue without substantive changes.

But for most, doubling revenues and beyond requires a substantive change of some kind.

Also,that's just not how growth works. Substantive growth nearly always requires a jump up in adding new overhead, management, capital investments, and so on.

At certain unavoidable points, the only way to get to the next level is to make an enormous, all-in, fully committed jump. Not a nice, low-effort, controlled hop year after year.

Myth #3: Growth is bad or will feel bad.

Surprising to some, this is a common myth. These leaders don't want growth.

These leaders tend to break out into three types:

• The Icarus: The "already been burned" leader thinks getting too big just leads to failure. They have at least one traumatic experience that proves this point to them.
• I couldn't – so it can't be done: This leader tried but couldn't make growth work. Instead of looking at examples of how other organizations grew, they insist that "it can't be done."
• Coasting across the line: This leader is often near retirement. But they also may have health issues or be burned out. Whatever it is, the fire in their belly has gone out. Now they mistakenly believe they can take their foot off the gas and still make the distance.

Here is what actual, healthy growth looks like:

When companies grow, they'll eventually encounter an obstacle that feels like a wall.

It's not a wall. It's the bottom of the next step. The majority of my clients are bunched up against the bottom of their next step.

Pushing forward harder won't help. They need to jump up to the next level.

"Jumping up" can look like:

• Hiring your first employee
• Bringing on your first crew who works independently from yourself
• Hiring your first manager
• Bringing in your first non-revenue generating management position – often a controller or CFO
• Creating common systems or policies across the company
• Developing alignment throughout the company
• A significant capital investment
• Geographic expansion
• Product or service diversification
• Bringing on partners or investors
• An acquisition

And so on.

With each "jump up", there will (usually) be a period of some growth. But eventually, that growth will peter out. Lo and behold, you are at the bottom of another step.

Which is another opportunity to jump.

Success is not built to code

Because there are no building codes when building businesses, your steps will be uneven. Some require huge jumps. Others are smaller. Some allow for a prolonged period of growth. Others you will barely get to enjoy before needing to jump again.

It's not fair. It's not safe. Lots of people trip and fall.

But if you keep your eyes open and are intentional about your steps, you'll be fine.

The biggest obstacles to growth are usually the mindsets of the leaders and their ability to recognize that a step is just a step.

But if you are prepared to run uneven stairs, you can usually climb as high as you'd like.

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Christian Muntean is a seasoned expert in fostering business growth and profitability. With a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership and certifications as a Master Coach, Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), and International Mergers & Acquisitions Expert (IM&A), he guides entrepreneurial leaders through growth, succession planning, and exit strategies. He is an accomplished author of three books, including Train to Lead. Christian resides in Anchorage, Alaska, with his family.  Learn More »

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