"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.

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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/

“In the face of uncertainty, most managers cut. But leaders build.” - Futurist Jim Carroll

Anyone can cut costs. Slash and burn. Downsize staff. Close divisions. And in an economic downturn, that becomes the norm.

But there are only a few who can do the opposite - focus on growth.

After nine days of exploring how to lead with resilience, innovation, and momentum, one truth now takes center stage: Growth isn’t a result. It’s a decision.

And in moments of deep uncertainty, the best leaders choose it - on purpose.

Back in 2009, I spoke at a lot of corporate events amid the global economic downturns and witnessed firsthand how different organizations were dealing with it. I vividly remember the message the CEO of one global organization delivered at their leadership summit, sharing their recession roadmap with perfect clarity: “Our strategic priorities: survive, innovate, grow. We’ve done survival. Now we’re focused on building.”

That’s the growth mindset that is needed today. While others pull back, delay projects, freeze spending, and wait for signs of recovery, real leaders are moving forward. Fast. With intent. Because they understand that growth doesn’t happen after the storm passes. It begins now.

Around that time, in an interview with FoodProcessing.com, I shared the story of a global restaurant chain CEO who spoke just after the 2008 financial crisis; I was to follow him on stage for my message on the importance of innovation and looking forward. He opened with one minute on the dismal economic conditions and then spent the next nineteen minutes outlining eight clear growth opportunities.

He didn’t dwell on uncertainty. He obsessed over what came next.

This is how bold leadership sounds.

And in 2025, it’s exactly what’s needed. You might not see it, but this is what is happening in some organizations right now. And maybe it's the precise mindset that you need at this very moment. Right now, some leaders are:
investing with precision — not across-the-board cuts, but selective spending that seeds future wins.

The question isn't: “Will the economy recover?” It's: “Will you be ready when it does?” Or "Will someone else have already captured the ground you hesitated to take?”

So ask yourself: Are you leading from fear? Or building toward growth?
Because in the face of uncertainty, managers cut.

But leaders?

They build.

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Futurist Jim Carroll knows that history shows us that 10% of organizations become breakthrough performers in times of economic volatility.

**#Growth** **#Leadership** **#Uncertainty** **#Building** **#Innovation** **#Mindset** **#Resilience** **#Opportunity** **#Future** **#Strategy**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2025/04/decoding-tomorrow-your-daily-future-inspiration-in-the-face-of-uncertainty-managers-cut-but-leaders-build/