top of page

By:

Divyaa Advaani 

2 November 2024 at 3:28:38 am

When agreement kills growth

In the early stages of building a business, growth is often driven by clarity, speed, and conviction. Founders make decisions quickly, rely on their instincts, and push forward with a strong sense of belief in their methods. This decisiveness is not only necessary, it is often the very reason the business begins to grow. However, as businesses cross certain thresholds, particularly beyond the Rs 5 crore mark, the nature of growth begins to change. What once created momentum can quietly begin...

When agreement kills growth

In the early stages of building a business, growth is often driven by clarity, speed, and conviction. Founders make decisions quickly, rely on their instincts, and push forward with a strong sense of belief in their methods. This decisiveness is not only necessary, it is often the very reason the business begins to grow. However, as businesses cross certain thresholds, particularly beyond the Rs 5 crore mark, the nature of growth begins to change. What once created momentum can quietly begin to create limitations. In many professional environments, it is not uncommon to encounter business owners who are deeply convinced of their approach. Their methods have delivered results, their experience reinforces their judgment, and their confidence becomes a defining trait. Yet, in this very confidence lies a subtle risk that is often overlooked. When conviction turns into certainty without space for dialogue, conversations begin to narrow. Suggestions are heard, but not always considered. Perspectives are offered, but not always encouraged. Decisions are made, but not always explained. From the outside, this may still appear as strong leadership. Internally, however, a different dynamic begins to take shape. People start to agree more than they contribute. This is where many businesses unknowingly enter a critical phase. When teams, partners, or stakeholders begin to hold back their perspective, the quality of thinking around the business reduces. What appears as alignment is often silent disengagement. What looks like efficiency is sometimes the absence of challenge. Over time, this directly affects the decisions being made. At a Rs 5 crore level, this may not be immediately visible. Operations continue, revenue flows, and the business appears stable. But as the organisation attempts to grow further, this lack of diverse thinking begins to surface as a constraint. Growth slows, not because of lack of effort, but because of limited perspective. On the other side of this equation are individuals who consistently find themselves accommodating such dynamics. They recognise when their voice is not being fully heard, yet choose not to assert it. The intention is often to preserve relationships, avoid friction, or maintain a sense of professional ease. Initially, this approach appears collaborative. Over time, however, it begins to shape perception. When individuals do not express their perspective, they are gradually seen as agreeable rather than essential. Their presence is valued, but their input is not actively sought. In many cases, they become part of the process, but not part of the decision. This is where personal branding begins to influence business outcomes in ways that are not immediately obvious. A personal brand is not built only through visibility or achievement. It is built through how consistently one demonstrates clarity, confidence, and openness in moments that require it. It is shaped by whether people feel encouraged to think around you, or restricted in your presence. At higher levels of business, this distinction becomes critical. If people agree with you more than they challenge you, it may not be a sign of strong leadership. It may be an indication that your environment is no longer enabling better thinking. Similarly, if you find yourself constantly adjusting to others without expressing your own perspective, your contribution may be diminishing in ways that affect both your influence and your growth. Both situations carry a cost. They affect decision quality, limit innovation, and over time, restrict the scalability of the business itself. What makes this particularly challenging is that these patterns develop gradually, often going unnoticed until the impact becomes difficult to ignore. The most effective leaders recognise this early. They create space for dialogue without losing direction. They express conviction without dismissing perspective. They build environments where contribution is expected, not avoided. In doing so, they strengthen not only their business, but also their personal brand. For entrepreneurs operating at a stage where growth is no longer just about execution but about expanding thinking, this becomes an important point of reflection. If there is even a possibility that your current interactions are limiting the quality of thinking around you, it is worth addressing before it begins to affect outcomes. I work with a select group of founders and professionals to help them refine how they are perceived, communicate with greater impact, and build personal brands that support sustained growth. You may explore this further here: https://sprect.com/pro/divyaaadvaani In the long run, it is not only the decisions you make, but the thinking you allow around those decisions, that determines how far your business can truly grow. (The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

Lifeline bleeds again

Four commuters lose lives after falling from speeding local in Thane, nine hurt

Thane/Mumbai: At least four commuters fell to their death from two speeding suburban trains and another nine were injured, some seriously, between Diva and Mumbra stations of the Central Railway in Thane, during the morning peak hours on Monday, officials said.

 

Among those killed was a Government Railway Police (GRP) official, and three other office-goers, rushing to their workplaces in Mumbai.

 

The gruesome tragedy on the first work day of the week left the 8-million plus daily commuters badly shaken amid a clamour for improving the safety aspects for the commuting crowds in jam-packed suburban trains.

 

Speaking to the media, CR’s Chief Spokesperson Swapnil D. Nila said that at least 13 commuters fell from the two running trains on that sector.

 

“This is not a train accident, it is only an incident involving 13 persons… Five were rushed to a local hospital and the rest to the CSM Hospital in Kalwa for treatment,” Nila said.

 

What happened?

The tragedy occurred around 9.30 am when the guard of the train zooming from CSMT-Kasara sent an alert at 9.50 am that six persons had fallen on the railway tracks and an ambulance was hurried to render assistance which found there were eight victims.

 

The CR CPRO said that the victims were travelling on the footboard ostensibly due to overcrowding in the morning rush hours, on the Mumbra-Diva Down/Fast line.

 

Nila added that the shoulder bags of some of the commuters from the two trains hurtling in opposite directions brushed causing them to fall on the space between the tracks of the two lines, usually 1.5-2.0 metres apart, but a tilt could occur on curves, considered one of the causes behind the disaster.

An injured passenger Tushar Bhagat of Titwala, told media-persons that as the train approached the deadly curve near Mumbai, those standing near the doors got a sudden squeeze and attempted to hold on for dear life, but in seconds, he and others fell off the train, four to their deaths.

 

Probe ordered

The railways have ordered a probe into the incident while the Maharashtra government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakhs to the kin of each deceased and all medical expenses of the injured.

 

In a knee-jerk reaction, the railways have announced that all new suburban train rakes shall be fitted with automatic closing doors, a la Metro trains, while all the existing rakes will be retrofitted with similar doors to avoid similar incidents in future.

 

List of victims: 

The dead:

Vicky Babasaheb Mukhidal, 34, a Government Railway Police official,

Ketan Dilip Saroj, 23, Ulhasnagar

Rahul Santosh Gupta,

And, an unidentified person

 

The injured:

Shiva Gawli, 23, admitted to CSM Hospital, Kalwa, now in Jupiter Hospital, Thane, critical

Sneha Donde, (Female) 21, of Titwala, stable

Priyanka Bhatia, (Female) 26, of Kalyan, stable

Anil More, 40, taken to Jupiter Hospital, stable

Aadesh Bhoir, 26, of Kasara, stable

Tushar Bhagat, 22, of Titwala, stable

Manish Saroj, 26, of Diva, stable

Rihan Sheikh, 26, of Bhiwandi, stable

Machhindra Gotarne, 39, of Vashind, stable

Comments

bottom of page