Economic upheaval, the threat of war, tax revolution, jails bursting at the seams, healthcare costs skyrocketing, intense competition … who can think about growth in the midst of all of this? Every leader who wants their enterprise to thrive when the turnaround comes!

There is always a mandate for growth. Anything else is sure sign of decline. How can we consider growth with so much turmoil and confusion? For many, it’s a matter of “staying the course” by doing the right things over and over. It’s looking at the fundamentals of your market and historical presence and reinforcing them. It’s ensuring your capacities are strong: fiscal, talent, plant, etc. It’s making sure you’ve girded yourself for the next battle for prosperity.

We know it’s cyclical. We know it’s going to turn. When it does, there will be only a select few ready, willing and capable of garnering the first and second slots. And as noted management guru Peter Drucker told a young Jack Welch at GE regarding their diversification, “If you’re not number one or two in an industry, get out!”

So how do you prepare?

#1 Articulate the enterprise’s goals
Understand, appreciate and speak the objectives, values and plans of achieving goals.

#2 Stay Focused
Don’t be distracted by bad news OR by sudden accidents of good fortune – they must both be treated as temporary anomalies along the journey.

#3 Get Outside Assistance
Don’t go it alone. Seek out competent, trusted advisors to facilitate, co-author and keep things on track.

#4 Understand Your Strengths
Call it core competencies or simply stuff your group does well – it is your distinctive competitive advantage. Identify it, rally around it and use it.

#5 Monitor the Plan
Every sailor adjusts the sail depending on the winds. Keep to your ‘true north’ in ethics and goals; however, don’t be at all timid about adjusting the plan along the way should internal or external factors change significantly.

Frank’s Nursery, Sears, K Mart, General Motors, Ford, Starbucks, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, AIG and The Big Eight…What do these companies all have in common? They once were wildly successful and all faced or are facing drastic changes.

Better days are coming, especially for those focused on strategic growth today. Stay true to the principles of prudent leadership and you will reap the rewards.

About the Author
Vince Crew is the founder of Reach Development Services and a strategy adviser with more than 25 years of experience providing practical insights on the critical issues of leading people and organizations. He consults and speaks on leadership truths, strategic planning, ethics, customer service, employee retention, business development and philanthropy. Vince holds a Master of Science degree in Marketing and Communication from Franklin University with extensive research in leadership ethics and organization lifecycle strategies.

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