The Great Paradox of Growth

By: Jonathan Brisco

Growth! Everybody wants it until it shows up, exhibiting nothing but hard work and effort. It’s a golden child of the business world, but the truth? Growth is not fun while you are in the middle of it.

The difference between those who make it and those who don’t often comes down to one question: Did they prepare for the next level before the next level showed up?

Lately, we’re seeing big players suit up again, M&A activity is on the rise after a lull. Fortune 500 companies are starting to buy and scale.

They’re not waiting until they feel 100% ready. They’ve been working out in the background, streamlining operations, hoarding dry powder, investing in talent. Now the market opens a crack, and they’re sprinting through it.

Were these companies completely sure they were ready when they made their first deal? Probably not. But they made the call anyway, and their preparation is what made them capable.

I have observed this over the last month with my oldest son. He is stepping into a new baseball league, an older age division. There will be bigger kids, harder pitches, faster play all around. Let me tell you, he is putting in the work. Every aspect of the game, he has worked on, he has trained to get stronger, faster, and even smarter.

He recognized there will be greater talent, so he is preparing.

That’s what readiness really is. It’s not a certificate you get before the next step. It’s the quiet work you put in while no one is looking.

Training for growth in business means putting in the reps long before the spotlight hits. It means building leaner, stronger operations ahead of the demand. Develop leadership that won’t fold under pressure when the pace picks up. Learning constantly, not out of obligation, but out of anticipation. Chasing feedback instead of avoiding it, because growth favors the coachable.

Growth sucks. It costs money. It creates problems. It exposes our blind spots. But not growing? That sucks worse. That’s how companies fall behind. That’s how people lose relevance. That’s how you wake up five years later wondering how the world passed you by.

My challenge to you, whether you’re a small business owner, a startup, a seasoned executive, or just someone with ambition: what does your growth “workout” look like? Are you coasting or conditioning?

The next league is coming. The only question is will you be strong enough to compete in it?