Opinions expressed by entrepreneurs’ colleagues are their very own.
For the first time I considered dismantling a perfectly functional product line, I hesitated. It was reckless, possibly even self -sufficient. But looking back, it was one of the most strategic moves I’ve ever made. In the intentional engineering of the controlled crisis in my organization I discovered an unexpected source of innovation, resistance and growth. Instead of waiting for the external forces to shake our foundation, we decided to prevent disturbance – and the results modified.
During my profession of leading organizations, through a transformation change, I learned one contradiction with intuition: waiting for a crisis for transformation is a loss strategy. I experienced more serious disturbances than most management sees during my life – from September 11 and SARS to the bankruptcy in 2008 and global pandemic. Each time I watched the organizations fight for a response, and their rigorously crafted crisis management plans do not have unique moment requirements.
I have noticed many times that irrespective of how well the prepared organization thought, these external shocks paralyzed people and systems. The time of recovery was all the time longer than essential, and the costs – each financial and human – were inevitably higher than essential. We will look back after each crisis and say: “If we had just introduced these changes earlier, we could better.” The difficult truth is that almost all organizations know what changes they have to make. They simply lack urgency to make them until their external forces leave them a selection.
This pattern led me to a radical conclusion: what if, if, as an alternative of waiting for interference, we created it ourselves? What if we glance at our business model every day and we asked: “How can it be destroyed by competitors, market changes or innovations?” This is a terrifying query, but much less terrifying than facing these unprepared threats. When you run a mature business, it is dangerously easy to turn out to be comfortable – turn out to be a big fish that stops developing because you think your position is secure.
Strategic prediction: determining where to hit
The possibilities of an independent break often hide in the view. They might be older products that have grown, processes that are not effectively scaled, or supply chains that have no flexibility. Strategic prediction means a look beyond immediate mocking and asking difficult questions about where the company can crack if external pressure intensified.
- Are there product lines that work consistently but do not show real growth potential?
- Are we too dependent on one supplier, region or technological stack?
- Have we locked ourselves in older models that make it difficult for agility?
By mapping these weak places, leaders can predict where external interference can hit, and then first move – breaking old assumptions before competitors or market conditions do it for them. According to McKinseyOrganizations that discover potential market inflection points in front of the curve tend to outweigh peers from the industry. Foresight is not only a forecast exercise – it’s a strategic handrail.
Building immunity through controlled interference
The query I hear most frequently is: “How to cause intentional interference without destabilizing the entire organization?” The key is to understand that your people are more resistant than they realize. The bands that moved the many years of industry changes have already proved their ability to adapt – even if they do not recognize them.
The secret combines this existing immunity with fresh perspectives. You need individuals who respect the heritage of what has been built but is not related to them. These changes in change are introducing recent tools and approaches, while recognizing the wisdom embedded in current operations. When you combine these perspectives effectively, the transformation is less like a threat, and more like an opportunity.
When we initiated a controlled crisis, pushing engineering talent away from an older product towards the emerging platform, the discomfort was noticeable. The teams of habits to older work flows climbed, improvised and eventually found fresh approaches. Some of our greatest product innovations appeared not in peaceful times, but during these rigorously organized “earthquakes”.
From theory to practice: lead through transformation
When I took over the greater than a century old industrial division, I inherited an organization that wanted to win and return to meaning. The company has been plunged into complexity – many product lines, various distribution channels and a spectrum from complex solutions to solutions to standard retail products. Many managerial teams have tried to solve the problems, each of which struggles with the maze structure of the division.
The failure to implement systems led the situation. Despite this, the organization remained trapped in old patterns, in some way expecting various results.
During my first leadership meeting, I met a room stuffed with drained, but deeply engaged management staff reviewing one other difficult quarterly forecast. I ended the presentation in the middle of the slip. “We will not talk about the perspective in this quarter,” I said. “Instead, let’s talk about what we really want to become.” The HR leader’s response is barked – “We just want to be current again” – she has turn out to be our scream.
We used this moment to cause a complete transformation-restructuring of our strategy to the market, equalizing our portfolio of products and rebuilding relationships with customers from scratch. We doubled profits inside 18 months. More importantly, we have proved that the transformation is becoming inevitable when you enable people to make changes they already know, are needed and attract them responsible for the results.
Last thought: will you lead or follow?
Here is a harsh reality: titans from the industry rarely fall because their products fail overnight. They fall because they waited too long to evolve. Before they react, the market has already chosen a recent winner. The selection is raw: either shape the crisis or told it for you.
During the Covid-19 I watched the vans passing through my window, while my husband described the fights of logistics corporations facing bankruptcy. While many saw chaos, I recognized the opportunity: the likelihood to transform the traditional logistics department of the printing company into the newest e-commerce solution. Pandemia has accelerated online shopping for years – making it the perfect time to re -imagine the industry built for the future.
The same likelihood exists for you. Go back and think about your business model. Follow all the ways in which it could possibly be destroyed – by competitors, technology or changing customer expectations. Yes, it is terrifying. But this is also the first step to transform the gaps in the possibilities. Thinking about my decision to dismantle the functional product line, I see similarities to those that prosper, making daring moves early. While many organizations delayed the motion, the real advantage consisted of proactive use of interference, not passively reacting.
Leaders who are developing are not the best to respond to changes – they create it. Will you wait until the next crisis forces your hand or will you lead the load?