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.)

Plain Speak

“It is very unfortunate that a total of eight passengers fell from a local train between Diva-Mumbra station and some of them lost their lives. The railway administration is probing the cause of the accident."

Devendra Fadnavis, CM

 

"A high-powered Railways committee will investigate the matter. The truth will come out, and if anyone is found guilty, strict action will be taken. Thousands of passengers travel on this route every morning. This is a very sad incident. I share the grief of families of the deceased."

Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM

 

"The deaths highlight the need to pay serious attention to overcrowding and passenger safety in the suburban railway system. I am confident that the railway administration will soon take concrete steps to make suburban train services more effective and safe."

Ajit Pawar, Deputy CM

 

"The Central Railway should increase local trains on important routes. Necessary measures should be implemented immediately for the safety of passengers. It is well known that the increased crowding in local trains is the main reason. After such accidents, it is not right to blame the passengers for their deaths.

Sharad Pawar, President, NCP (SP)

 

 

“Since the train was very crowded, these passengers were hanging from the doors. Traveling in such a manner is dangerous. It is a humble request to the citizens that please do not travel in a dangerous manner. Along with this, the railway administration should also take measures to plan the crowd and prevent possible damage.”

Supriya Sule, MP, NCP (SP)

 

“A flood of people coming to (Mumbai) from outside led to the collapse of the railway system. But everyone is busy campaigning for elections. Accidents involving local trains happen every day. Is it possible to install automatic doors in local trains? At least bring back some ideas after visiting foreign countries”

Raj Thackeray, President, MNS

 

“The Railways should just shut up about what they are planning to do because none of them have been delivered as far as Mumbai local trains are concerned. These are not deaths by overcrowding but murders executed by an apathetic Reel Minister and the government of Maharashtra.”

Priyanka Chaturvedi, MP, Shiv Sena (UBT)

 

"While the Modi government is celebrating 11 years of 'service', the reality of the country is reflected in the tragic news coming from Mumbai – several people died after falling from a train. Who will look into what the country is facing today? I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery "

Rahul Gandhi, LOP

 

"The state government will provide Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those who died in the incident. Financial assistance will also be given to the injured. This is the first time such an incident has occurred. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has spoken to officials in Delhi regarding this accident. It must be thoroughly investigated. We must ensure it does not happen ever again.”

Girish Mahajan, Minister


“It once again exposes the lack of safety in Mumbai's train networks. We have raised this issue several times in the Parliament too. The Mumbai train networks be it suburban or long distance need a proper policy for crowd management. The railways need better actual management not just image management through reels.”

Varsha Gaikwad, President, Mumbai Congress

 

“This incident is unfortunate but not new—such incidents have happened in the past. We don't know whether he is the Rail Minister or ‘Reel Minister'... He does not focus on the real issues of the railways. It is unfortunate.”

Aaditya Thackrey, MLA, Shiv Sena (UBT)


“There is a sharp curve near Mumbra station. When two local trains on the Up (towards CSMT) and Down (towards Thane and beyond) passed simultaneously, some passengers hanging from the footboards either fell off or were crushed inside the coaches. The Kalyan-Karjat (which goes towards Pune) belt suffers from extreme congestion. Passenger associations have long demanded more services on this route. The fifth and sixth railway lines between Thane and Kalyan have helped marginally, but we now need to extend these lines up to CSMT to further ease congestion.”

Shrikant Shinde, MP, Shiv Sena

 

"The cause of the incident needs to be addressed. How did they fall...was there a crowd, were they pushed, was there a fight. The administration also needs to be alert."

Naresh Mhaske, MP, Shiv Sena

 

“For the last 11 years, the people of Maharashtra and Mumbai have been listening to empty talk about infrastructure and ease of travel for Mumbaikars. In the name of providing facilities and development, Maharashtra is witnessing a game of awarding tenders and taking commissions. Citizens have had to pay the price for this corruption with their lives.”

Harshwardhan Sapkal, President, State Congress

 

“Eight passengers were found on the railway tracks. An injured person informed that commuters fell from local trains travelling in opposite directions after some of those standing on the footboards collided against each other.”

Swapnil Nila, Chief PRO, Central Railways

 

“I have been repeatedly asking the railway authorities and writing letters to them to address the issue of overcrowding in the suburban trains, but nothing has been done.”

Om Prakash Sharma, President, Thane District Railway Users Association

Comments

bottom of page