For many of you, the last recession put you into survival mode. This is especially true if you are in banking, financial services, construction, retail or automotive. Those industries were hit so hard, all growth plans had to take a back seat.
Shrinking expenses was the order of the day.
As long as we continue to watch cable news (CNBC, etc.) or let the doomsdayers continue to beat the drums of double dip or next-bubble, we’ll stay in neutral, letting our competitors pass us by.
Here’s my analogy: A downturn is like a car crash during a NASCAR race. The yellow caution flag comes out, we all coast in the same position. At some point the green flag is waved and everyone scrambles for the lead.
Here’s where business turns out differently: The “game on” flag is invisible, just like the hand of the market that Adam Smith wrote about. Some leaders see it early and others see it too late. In 2009, a New Yorker article (Hanging Tough) isolated some of the great leaps in history that were made by companies that got back to growth, innovation and employee development before their competitors. When they saw the green flag, just as the worst of the crash was over, they hit the gas. Kraft, Kellogg’s, Hyundai and Apple are all examples of this phenomenon.
Here’s a news flash for you: The recession is over. The run up is on. If you wait for any more of a clear sign, the next downturn may be upon you and there’s nothing left in your tank. It’s time for you to think about growing your business, buying companies and investing heavily in your talent.
As one leader recently told me, “By the time you realize you should have been focusing on growth, it’s too late. Your competitors have been doing it long enough to build up not only a lead, but barriers to you being able to draft on their success.”
