"In a downturn, most companies don’t fail because they lack opportunity - they fail because they can’t get out of their own way." - Futurist Jim Carroll

Leaders build. Managers cut. That much is known. What is also known is that if you want to grow during a downturn, now is the time to move, not wait.

But let’s be honest. You can’t build what’s next if you’re still stuck in what’s holding you back.

That’s what this post is about.

Before you get into a growth mindset in a downturn - which seems like a contradiction - you have to face the barriers that will hold you back. And here's what I know from the advising leadership team during every major downturn since 2001: recessions don’t just expose economic volatility. They expose internal vulnerability.

What are those vulnerabilities? Business models that no longer fit. Teams that are afraid to act. Cultures allergic to risk. Short-term thinking that kills long-term opportunity. Things like that. Over time, I've seen a clear pattern emerge in the way organizations respond to volatility - there are two kinds of companies:

- those who got stuck in their economic rut, too paralyzed to move

- and those who became fast, focused, and fearless innovation leaders

Both types were in the same economy - but only one type made it to the other side stronger.

So what separates them? It’s not industry. Not funding. Not even market conditions. It’s this: the ability to confront what’s really holding them back. Because the reality is big disruption happens during big uncertainty, but most companies miss it, because they’re too focused on defending the past instead of designing the future.

So ask yourself:

What’s holding you back right now?

What decisions are you avoiding?

What assumptions or habits are you still clinging to?

Because before you can talk about growth strategy…before you can reimagine business models…before you can disrupt...you need to confront what’s holding you back.

This isn’t about what’s happening around you.

It’s about what’s happening inside your organization.

---

Futurist Jim Carroll believes that this current moment in time is as much an innovation story as it is a recession story. Act accordingly.

**#Barriers** **#Growth** **#Leadership** **#Mindset** **#Risk** **#Innovation** **#Velocity** **#Opportunity** **#Adaptation** **#Momentum**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2025/04/decoding-tomorrow-your-daily-future-inspiration-in-a-downturn-most-companies-dont-fail-because-they-lack-opportunity-they-fail-because-they-cant-get-out-of-their-own/