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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.)

OBCs, political parties hail SC order on Local Polls

Mumbai: Political parties and OBC groups in the state heartily welcomed the Supreme Court order on conducting the long-pending local bodies’ elections on the existing OBC quotas within four months in Maharashtra.


OBC leaders like Prof. Laxman S. Hake, Chhagan Bhujbal, Congress state President Harshwardhan Sapkal, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) state chief Jayant Patil, Dr. Amol Kolhe, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders and others reacted to the SC interim verdict.


“We are very happy as the existing (27%) quotas between 1994-2022 have been sustained. The Jayant K. Banthia Commission had made its recommendations even without a proper survey, and we wonder how it arrived at its conclusions. Now it has been set aside and the elections have been ordered,” Prof. Hake told The Perfect Voice.


“This is a huge success in our endeavour for OBC political reservations. Through ex-MP Sameer Bhujbal, the Akhil Bharatiya Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad had filed the petition in SC to save the cause. We are pleased by the apex court decision. It is crucial for the political existence of the OBC nomadic communities,” said an elated Bhujbal.


Sapkal has said that the state government should now hold these elections without any delay and without finding any loopholes to bring back the former glory of the posts of corporator, mayor, and speaker.


He said that the 73rd Constitutional Amendment implemented the Panchayat Raj system, leading to decentralization of power, plus resulting in division of power among the Corporators, mayor and others.


“This continued well, but the local bodies elections were not held for the past few years as the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in the state and Centre wanted all the power in their own hands. After the SC’s verdict, the state government should forthwith announce the elections to give back power to the people,” urged Sapkal.


Patil said that the local bodies polls were not held for the past 3 years, but now the SC’s interim order will pave the way for the elections which are essential for all political parties and their workers.


“The polls will be held subject to the final order of SC regarding OBC quotas. It has also allowed the State Election Commission liberty to seek extension of time if needed. We hope that the state government will not push back the elections through the SEC,” averred Patil.


Hake added that the Centre’s announcement to conduct a Caste Census would not affect the OBCs quotas in elections.


SC: Ensure grassroots democracy

In a much-anticipated order, the SC division bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N. K. Singh directed the Maharashtra government to conduct the local bodies elections which are pending since 2022 following litigation pertaining to implementing the OBCs quotas. The SC’s interim order directed the polls to be held as per the OBC reservations which existed prior to the Banthia Commission report (July 2022), to notify the polls process within four weeks and complete it within four months, to ensure and respect democracy at the grassroots level as enshrine in the Constitution.


Justice Kant and Justice Singh granted liberty to the SEC to seek an extension of time if necessary, and said that polls will be subject to the outcome of the bunch of petitions challenging the Banthia Commission though the order would not prejudice the contentions of the political parties.

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