The days are getting shorter, the evenings cooler, and the pace is starting to pick up again. Summer has a way of loosening the grip — a little more time with family, a few more long weekends, maybe even the luxury of ignoring your inbox for a while.
But now, the “back-to-school” feeling is in the air. September is like the real start of the business year. The distractions of summer are behind us, and the runway to year-end is short. This is the moment to get crystal clear on where you’re going and how you’ll get there.
If you treat fall as a strategic reset — rather than just diving back into the daily grind — you can finish the year strong and set yourself up for a powerful start in the new year.
So before you let the post-summer busyness take over, take the time to zoom out. Look at your plan, your priorities, and your next big moves. And to help, here are some of our most-read and most-impactful blogs on strategic planning to get you back into growth mode.
1. The Dilemma of Bigger vs. Better
Many great companies stall because they fall in love with being better at what they already do, instead of getting bigger. This blog dives into how even high-performing organizations can get trapped in operational improvements — and how to rebalance your strategic plan to focus on long-term growth by adding new customers, products, or markets.
2. The Power of a Fortress Balance Sheet
From lessons with Jim Collins, this blog unpacks how a strong financial position (“oxygen canisters”) gives you the resilience to make smart, long-term moves rather than reacting in crisis mode. It’s about building cash reserves, securing access to capital, and diversifying revenue streams — a perfect mindset for planning the year ahead.
3. Does Your Strategic Plan Really Drive Growth – or Just Improvement?
It’s a trap many successful companies fall into: shifting from growth mode to improvement mode without even realizing it. The result? The growth engine quietly powers down while leaders get consumed by internal projects. This blog shows you how to spot the warning signs, rebalance your CEO time, and ensure at least a third of your long-term objectives are truly about increasing your “Xs” — the core unit of your business — rather than just making the existing machine run smoother.
4. How to Get the Most from Your Strategic Planning Process
Even the best strategic planning processes can loosen over time. When you’re deep in the trenches running your business, it’s easy to lose sight of your competitive advantage. This blog outlines six proven ways to tighten things up — from choosing the right framework and facilitator, to setting SMART goals, to creating an accountability-learning loop that drives continuous improvement. If you want to take your planning from good to great, this is your playbook for staying sharp and aligned year after year.
5. The KPIs That Actually Drive Growth (Hint: It’s Not Just Revenue)
Revenue growth can look great on paper, but it doesn’t always mean your business is truly expanding. This blog breaks down the three KPIs that matter most for Real Growth: increasing your number of Xs (the core unit you sell), improving profit per X, and raising the percentage of A-Players on your team. When you track and improve all three, you’re not just growing — you’re building a stronger, more sustainable business.
Challenge
As you get back into full gear after summer, take a day — or even just a few hours — to zoom out and review your plan for the rest of the year. Ask yourself:
-
- Is our #1 decision for the year clear — and are we giving it enough time?
- Are we intentionally learning and evolving as a leadership team?
September is a natural inflection point. Use it to reset, refocus, and realign so you can finish the year strong and start the next one even stronger.
Resources
Lawrence & Co’s work focuses on sustainable and enhanced growth for you and your business. Our diverse and experienced group of advisors can help your leaders and executive teams stay competitive through the use of various learning tools including workshops, webinars, executive retreats, or one-to-one coaching.
We help high-achieving leaders to have it all – a great business and a rewarding life. Contact us for simple and impactful advice. No BS. No fluff.