Good Leaders Don't Go Backwards

By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growthWhile the text that follows will be brief, it truly merits the attention of anyone still grappling with 2010 budget concerns. I’m going to share something with you that you might not want to hear, and quite frankly, something that will likely send your CFO straight into apoplexy.  You don’t grow a business by shrinking it. The key to corporate growth is not to fall into decline; hopefully not by default, but certainly not by design. If your 2010 plan is one that involves constriction, contraction, shrinkage or retraction, you should note that this is not what your clients and prospects are looking for.Do you think your clients will be impressed that you’re cutting staff, shrinking marketing budgets, eliminating service lines or any other item that they perceive as a limiting factor in your ability to help or add value? Know this: your clients and prospects will never see any form of bunker mentality as being beneficial to them. One of the great business myths is the theory of “remaining flat” – it simply is not possible. A business grows or shrinks – it gains ground on competitors, or loses ground to them. So my question to you is this: What are you specifically going to do in 2010 to better serve your clients, to continue acquiring and developing talent, to build your brand, and to grow your business? General George C. Patton said it best: “Never defend, always attack.”