Lead Out: Stabilize And Scale

That’s where “leading out” begins. Once you’ve identified where traction is happening, shift from exploration to execution. Stabilize systems, apply rigor to your processes and scale what works. This approach should be offense-focused, confident and aligned with the market.

For our company in late 2024, that meant scaling and throwing our full weight behind areas where we were winning and knew it was time to win bigger. This strategy allowed us to secure a significant number of contracts in those areas. That success resulted from a calculated pivot and an intentional investment in a product we pioneered and decided to scale.

These decisions aren’t easy at the top, but I believe that great leadership means listening to the people closest to the work. Encourage your leadership to ask hard questions—including directly to you as the CEO or founder—and work together to challenge the company’s direction and chart a better course. This should involve respectful discord, finding a shared vision and moving forward with trust. In my experience, that is what true collaboration looks like.

By consolidating resources and focusing on what you do exceptionally well, you can create operational leverage that pays dividends in performance, customer satisfaction and long-term impact. The focus should be on doing the right things excellently and at scale.

Innovation With Intention

I believe that in order to be an innovative company, you must reinvent yourself every three to five years. We’re not the same company we were three years ago, and that’s by design. This is the fourth iteration of our mindset of “explore, test, trim, scale.” We try new ideas and chase promising markets, and when the data or conditions don’t support further investment, we stop. Instead of sunk-cost bias and false pride, the focus is on guts, discipline and clarity.

As a leader, you’ll inevitably face moments when you need to walk away from projects you’ve invested deeply in. It takes courage to pause or shut something down, especially when you’ve put in time, resources and belief. But making those tough calls is part of evolving wisely. Each decision—even the ones that don’t pan out—can sharpen your judgment and set you up with a clearer perspective for what’s next.

To stay agile, focus on where your momentum is strongest. Instead of spreading your energy across too many initiatives, double down on the areas that are gaining real traction. Reinvention doesn’t mean starting over—it means applying your hard-won insight with greater clarity and focus every set number of years.

Looking Ahead

If you’re ready to lean in and lead out, here are a few questions to guide your thinking:

Lean In

• Does this add real value?

• Does this serve the customer?

• Does this align with who you are and what you do best?

If the answer is “no,” don’t do it.

Lead Out

• Are you channeling leadership and capital into scaling what’s working?

• Are you stabilizing systems, investing in talent and precisely pushing execution?

• Are you creating the conditions for sustainable growth while empowering others to lead?

If the answer is “yes”—do it!

Don’t slow down. Center your focus. Accelerate with clarity, discipline and an unwavering commitment to building systems that last—and that serve with purpose. In times of growth or transition, your instinct may be to pause or play it safe. Resist that. Instead, refine your direction and scale with intention. Durable progress comes not from doing more but from doing what matters.

But perhaps most importantly, as you navigate this strategic evolution, double down on the one constant that powers everything else: culture. This remains our greatest asset. Culture is more than values painted on the wall or slogans in a handbook; it should be the operating system that drives how you work, how you lead and how you win together. I’ve found that a strong culture can fuel progress, align teams and partners, inspire bold action and build trust that can endure through uncertainty.