"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark." - Michelangelo
This quote from Michelangelo really captured my attention not only because of what he had achieved - but because he thought this way, in spite of what he achieved. In other words, his vision for himself was not to settle for what he had done in the past, but to continually work towards becoming the best he could be, which is a never ending and wonderful process of growth.
Michelangelo's wisdom does not only apply for individuals, but for businesses. We see a tremendous parallel to this thought in Keith McFarland's book: "The Breakthrough Company - How Everyday Companies Become Extraordinary". This book studied thousands of entrepreneurial businesses to determine what the common traits were among small and middle market businesses that achieved break through growth.
One of the key common factors to breakthrough growth was an entrepreneur's decision not settle for past success, even if they were very comfortable. The business leaders that were able to achieve break through growth, all reached a point where they had to make the choice to settle or to double down on their bet. Those that achieved breakthrough growth chose to double down, set their sites higher and won. Conversely, in many cases, peer companies that chose not to make the bet, ultimately fell materially behind in the market and often became the subject of acquisitions.
It is important to note that there are multiple other important qualities shared by these breakthrough companies, that positioned them to take advantage of the bet they were making. If you would like to learn more about the qualities of businesses that achieve ongoing growth and success, please give us a call.
We would love to help you achieve your vision for growth.
Call Joe Valentic at 313-418-6629