If you do what you did, you get what you got.

I recently sat down with 2 founders to discuss their 2025 strategy. Things are not going well. We are constantly bogged down in operations. We have no time to think. We are constantly putting out fires. Filling cash holes with temporary contracts.

Fortunately, a lot is going well. We make beautiful products. Real quality. Meanwhile, the world is changing. And so is our playing field.

I have often sat around the table with them. About their mutual dynamics. Their changing roles. The diluted communication. The recriminations. The assumptions. The judgements. They were at breaking point. But the shared passion and mission prevailed. They found each other again. By really talking. I had to pull it out. But a new, deeper connection was made.

As an entrepreneur, you may recognise these ups and downs. Both the hard side and the soft side of entrepreneurship. If you want to move forward, you have to balance the two. Without openness and connection, you cannot properly decide where the business should go. What your big, bold ideal is. How to get there. What you’ll do differently. What you’ll leave behind. Then you don’t dare to make radical decisions.

The end of the year is a good time, metaphorically speaking. To reflect on what went well and what needs improvement. To reassess your strategy. To have the good conversations. And to create new quarterly plans that really drive growth.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, leading an organisation, a department or a team. Stay focused. Don’t get distracted. And move quickly to new opportunities. Making decisions. It’s all part of the job. It makes it fun. But it gets annoying when you’re not getting anywhere.

Getting stuck? Then take a look at the law of the flywheel. Where do we go off the curve? Chances are, the problem lies in the previous level. Then ask yourself this question:

🙂 Do we have the right people in the right place at the right time? – People
🎯Are we doing the right things? – Strategy
⏱️In the right way? – Execution
💶Do we have enough oxygen for growth to make good decisions? – Cash
🐝Are we making a good, positive contribution? – Impact

Don’t get stuck in the same patterns. Dare to think and change gears. Like these 2 entrepreneurs. They focused on cash. When the problem was execution. In marketing, to which they paid too little attention. Then your quality product goes unseen. And that is shameful and unnecessary!

Do you want to approach 2025 differently? Let’s start a conversation or download the Organisation Growth Programme factsheet here for more inspiration.