When Things Are Going Great - Panic! — by Dan Lynn
By Dan Lynn
The moment you think things are going great and you are exceeding your targets is exactly the time to force yourself and your team to worry. Building a business is so hard and takes so much out of you and your team. So, when things are going well, there is a tendency to take a little break and take your eye off the ball. That's exactly the wrong thing to do. When things are going well, is exactly the time to focus on taking your business to the next level. Increase your targets. Improve your metrics. Enhance client relationships. As the business owner it is your responsibility to create the burning platform for the team to rally around.
Questions this Key Learning answers
What do you do when your business is exceeding its targets?
Dan Lynn argues that strong performance is the moment to become more vigilant, not take a break. The author recommends raising targets, improving metrics, strengthening client relationships, and focusing on the business’s next level. His central warning is that success can tempt owners and teams to take their eyes off the ball.
Which signs should I watch when revenue is still rising?
Our analysis warns that revenue may keep rising even as customer intimacy, product quality, or competitive awareness begins to weaken. It highlights leading indicators such as retention, customer complaints, product usage, and sales-cycle quality. These signals can reveal eroding habits before delayed financial results expose the underlying problem.
How do I keep my team focused when business is going well?
The author says the business owner must create a burning platform that the team can rally around. Our analysis offers a related practice: after a strong quarter, imagine the next year went badly and identify what caused it. This can help the team surface weak signals while current results are still strong.