How to Move from Slow to Rapid Growth

It is common in business and careers today to experience slow improvement. For someone wanting to streak ahead, this can be a major frustration. What does it take to move faster and win?

According to Legend, You Can Win!

How Did You Get Where You Are?

You've done some successful things. What worked? It's interesting that frequently people don't spot what really got them to success.

 A know a man who got to an advanced old age by continuing to be very physically and mentally active and involved in his community. He was teaching line dancing into his 80's and captain of his bowling league into his 90's. He was always helping people around the community, installing their ceiling fans, being on the community board, running bingo, etc.

 After some things in life started to bug him, he began drinking. During this phase, if you'd asked him the secret to arriving to his advanced age, he'd have told you it was martinis - a colorful way to justify hitting the sauce. Other than pickling body parts, alcohol rarely makes bodies last longer and frequently results in an untimely end.

So it's important to spot the correct things that lead to your current level of success. 

 Why not interview some associates and get their input. Some may have a hidden agenda and nudge you that direction, like, "You're so generous and give big bonuses!" Still there may be some truth in it.

 Look at what gains you've made and how those came about. You've been doing things more right than wrong if you're growing. Maybe you won't be able to discern all the causes.

Why not just do more of what got you to this stage of success.

Be Alert!

Watch for Passing Rockets!

Time to Be Very Alert!

Life is basically interesting. If you're paying attention, you'll see all kinds of stuff that begs you to use it to your advantage.

Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin when he came back from vacation to find a green mold had contaminated Petri dishes in his lab and it was killing the bacteria he'd been growing.

He could have exercised his four-letter vocabulary and thrown them out. Instead he got interested and discovered antibiotics, a massive advance in life-saving history. 

Winning Means Using Your Wits!

One of Kodak's engineers invented the digital camera in 1975 when 85% of all cameras in the US were made by Kodak. Kodak's board was unimpressed.

Finally, in 1994 Kodak manufactured the Apple QuickTake, the first consumer digital camera. By 2005 Kodak was the largest digital camera retailer in the US. But they put on the brakes and by 2010 they were the 7th biggest. Though widely loved and admired, Kodak declared bankruptcy in 2012.

Why? They did a poor job at navigating the challenges between safeguarding their existing film technology and exploiting the new digital tech that they invented but competitors developed more aggressively.

Are they unique? Alexander Graham Bell took his patent for the telephone first to Western Union. But its chairman balked at the $100,000 they asked him for, describing the telephone as "nothing but a toy".

Putting together a winning strategy will take your slow and steady growth and turn it into a rocket ride. But it requires -- in our technological age -- vision, imagination and judgement. Remember to add those ingredients as you press on the accelerator. 

About

Author and Master Consultant David C. Sanders is well on his way to taking a second company to a billion dollar valuation and is looking to repeat that a third time. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Follow him via his Linkedin profile - https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/consultu/

And his LinkedIn group - Business Growth Strategy Powered by David C Sanders and Creative Business Strategies