by Ken Vincent, Featured Contributor
WE ARE CONSTANTLY bombarded with articles about how to grow your company. Five essential things for growth, ten ways to grow, how CEO XXX tripled the size of his company, etc.
It becomes a forgone conclusion that growth is essential. If you aren’t growing the you clearly are doing something wrong is the unstated theory. Haven’t we all heard that: “You can’t tread water. If you don’t grow you wither and die.” But, is that really true? Is company life so fragile and so defined by growth?
I don’t buy it. There is nothing wrong with being good at what you do and sticking to what you do best. You work hard and develop the best pizza parlor in the area. Do you have to open two more? Do you have to borrow heavily and open ten? Do you then have to franchise? What is wrong with having the best pizza parlor in the area and being happy with it? That doesn’t mean you are lazy, or a failure, or frozen with fear. It simply means you like what you do and are focused on staying the best.
The same is true with a career. Does everyone have to strive to be the CEO? Of course not. There is nothing wrong with being content at being the best sales person on the floor. You don’t have to strive to be the sales manager or department head.
You are a well respected consultant and you love helping your clients. Do you have to hire five people so that you can service more clients? No.
The key is to find a slot that you are happy in and be the best that you can be in that position. If you decide to expand your business, or grow into another position, then fine. But don’t let others pressure you into it. Do it because you want to and are ready.
