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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.)

Setting Boundaries

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

We name our daughters Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati; we worship the divine feminine power in the temples but oppress, repress and even attack the feminine power amidst us. That is the irony in the way India sees its women.

After the safety of the daylight fades, women are seen as easy prey by the predators of the night.

We mark the nine nights of Navratri, the festival of the goddess, by celebrating the dedication and valour of nine real-life women who brave the challenges of the night to pursue their dreams.


PART - 6

Setting Boundaries

The public relations professional advises women to be aware of their surroundings while staying out late despite Mumbai being a relatively safe city

Setting Boundaries

She’s seen men stare her down on the streets of Mumbai but the crowds on the roads have always made her feel safe and confident even late at night. Chandana Buch, 35, a public relations professional working with The Other Circle is quick to draw a comparison between Mumbai and Delhi where she’s worked earlier. “Compared to Mumbai, Delhi is much more unsafe. With Delhi, I have had to face drunk driving almost every day during late evening commutes. It was way too scary and what was worse is that I couldn’t even abandon the taxi I was commuting in. Who wants to be left on streets in Delhi after dark? So, it was a tricky situation that nobody would want to be in,” says Buch who grew up in Gujarat’s Saurashtra in a large joint family. She recalls an incident in Delhi when a co-passenger in a taxi pool struck up a conversation with her and continued to “text stalk” her. “In Delhi, I clung on to my brother most of the times and only went out with my old and known friends. Eventually, I left the city after around 11 months,” she says.

Buch, who has been working for a decade now has lived in Mumbai and Delhi and for a brief period of time in Dallas, USA. While handling clients that have been businesses in the field of entertainment, lifestyle and real estate, late nights are usual for her. 

Despite the relative safety that Mumbai offers, it’s not that she’s been untouched by the actions of miscreants. She recalls being “intimidated by men staring” at her several times while travelling back home post midnight in Mumbai. “However, staying confident was easier because the streets were busy and crowded,” she says. The Shakti mills rape case where a woman photographer was raped in the middle of a dilapidated and isolated mill compound worried several working women back then. “When the Shakti mill incident that happened with a female photographer, it became a point of discussion for all of us women who worked in similar fields. It surely kept me much more alert and in caution for a long time about my timings and surroundings. Fortunately, I have never landed in a risky situation in Mumbai,” says Buch.

Buch is happy that her firm takes care to ensure the safety of its women employees and colleagues too have been caring and supportive. “The Group Head insists on knowing the details of our travel and ensures our safe return. I have had some wonderful colleagues in the past. We would make sure to drop each other safely and track rides until the last one gets home,” she says.

Making the cities safer, says Buch, is a process that has to start at home. “It has to start by sensitizing young boys and girls about respecting each other. Boys must be taught how to show respect and how to make the surroundings friendly and not intimidating for anyone,” she says. The best way to stay safe is to avoid prolonged work hours unless absolutely necessary. “Also set boundaries whenever and wherever required. Be aware of your surroundings when traveling for work or with new people,” is advice that Buch has for women who have to stay out of home beyond midnight.

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