Business growth is often seen as a race. You know it. I know it. Everybody knows it. That’s how the business world works. The faster we grow, the better. This is what we’re told. But experience has shown me something different. Chasing growth at all costs often leaves a business unstable. The business becomes overstretched, and the people inside it will be scrambling to fix problems that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
Here’s my personal take. If we’re aiming for real stability in 2026, we’ve got to strategically slow down. Avoid the growing-fast route. Go for the growing-right route instead. It’s about growing the business slower, deeper, and with a sharper focus on what truly matters.
One thing I’ve come to believe strongly is that human connection still trumps everything. Technology is helpful, no doubt. Automations, AI, chatbots and all, they make certain things better, faster and easier. But they are still not a human being. I’ve never come across anyone telling me how great it felt to be handled by a chatbot. Nope. What sticks with people is the genuine human touch. The voice on the other end of the call who listens, the personal follow-up text that feels sincere, and the relationship or trust that builds over time. That’s where stability starts. People want to deal with people, especially when problems arise or when they’re making decisions that matter.
Many businesses neglect the quality of what they’re selling. I find it ridiculous when I see businesses pour money into marketing, all while their product or service is barely there. When customers leave, it’s rarely quiet or unnoticed. Those businesses forgot that stability comes when they’re obsessed with raising the bar on quality. Not just once, but continuously. Fix what’s not working. Tighten what’s loose. Improve what’s average. The small things they fix today are the reasons customers will stay tomorrow.
But it’s not enough to have a decent product. The real game-changer is making sure our customers actually win because of what we offer. I’ve learned this the hard way. It’s not about getting a sale. It’s about creating business wins for the customer. Are they achieving better results? Are they solving real problems? Is their life or business genuinely better because of us? If we can answer ‘yes’ to those questions consistently, we’re not just making sales. We’re creating trusts. When customers win, we win. That’s the kind of impact that locks in long-term stability.
Another lesson that I’ve learned the hard way is how to talk less and listen more, and the art of consistently staying in touch with customers. This is critical. This is about real conversations, honest check-ins, and showing genuine interest in how the customer is doing. We often discover issues we’d never have known if we hadn’t asked. And catching them early is a far better option than firefighting when it’s too late.
Lastly, I’ve learned that growth or dreaming big only makes sense when we can actually handle it. It’s tempting to chase every new customer, every new opportunity, every shiny growth number. But when growth outpaces our capacity to serve well, things break. Quality slips, people burn out, and customers start noticing the cracks. Sustainable growth means knowing how fast we can go without compromising on the essentials. There’s no shame in growing at a pace we can sustain. In fact, that’s often the smarter, more stable move.
Going into 2026 in just a few months, I believe the businesses that will stand the test of time are those that choose depth over speed. The ones that stay human, focus on continuous improvements, elevating the combo of product-service-user experience quality, proactively engage with the customers, and grow with discipline. Stability, to grow it, definitely takes time, patience, care, and a lot of listening. Don’t forget to breathe too.
The question is, do you have patience for it?
