Everyone likes winning – in theory. But when decisions become difficult, as winning usually demands, the status quo gains a dangerously seductive quality. Especially when the status quo looks pretty good. Which is why the hardest thing isn’t winning, but continuing to win.
This theme was popularised by the social philosopher Charles Handy. His 2015 book The Second Curve depicts the life cycle of many enterprises as a sigmoid curve (an S-shape on its side). First comes the investment phase (superficially “unprofitable”), then the curve turns upwards into growth, before, finally, into a decline that is never reversed. How can this be escaped? By creating a second curve. But this second curve has to start before the first curve has peaked, when there is sufficient resource to cope with a new investment phase. You have to jump off while the going is still good.
Content from our partners
