Better before bigger.

In business, we need to challenge growth for growth’s sake. Society has been hypnotised by the hustle culture and ‘overnight successes’ where we now rarely stop and question why we want to grow.
 
There’s an old adage that perfectly describes the importance of questioning growth as the default.
 
A businessman came across a local fisherman in a small village and asked why he doesn’t spend more time catching fish. The local man replied: “Because I like to sleep in, fish a little and spend time with my family.” The businessman was baffled and tried to convince the fisherman to extend his time at sea, in order to catch more, buy a bigger boat, hire men, move to the city, and make millions.
 
The caveat? It would take 15-20 years. Then what, he asked? Only for the businessman to reply: “Then you’d retire and move to the beach. You’ll sleep in, fish a little, and spend time with your family.”
 
There’s an expectation of hyper-growth for business owners. That, if you’re not growing, you’ve stagnated. But when growth is the default, many of us miss out on being better before bigger.
 
Bigger is the by-product of becoming better.
 
Ask yourself in every moment, with every business decision, what can we do better? Small changes compound and over the course of a few years, you can radically transform your business.
 
This is not to say you should avoid growth, just undirected growth. Be crystal clear on why you want to grow if that’s your goal. Make sure it’s internally motivated, rather than externally pressurised. Business is a mirror and can be a journey in self-expansion if you allow it. Use daily decisions to develop your self-awareness muscle – as an individual and collectively as a company.
 
Focus on being better before getting bigger for 1-3 years. You will become truly incomparable.
 
To learn more about my philosophy about better business, pre-order my book Leading Out of Loss.