Few things are more important than knowing your personal limitations. This is also true in a corporate setting as well. Few companies take the time to dig deep into their culture and determine what they are truly capable of producing. This isn’t to say that companies are “stuck” in one place. The business world is a dynamic place and every major corporation started somewhere.
It is interesting as you hear the founders of these enormous entities talk about their beginnings they all say something to the effect of, “I didn’t set out to make [insert company name] this large. I was interested in providing [insert product or service] the best way possible.” They were aware of their limitations early on and just tried to accomplish the original goal of the company.
A new beverage company should not start out to be bigger than Coca-Cola because if that is the goal then you will lose sight of making a quality beverage. Start with making the best beverage you can make for your market. Keep making it better and grow as you go. There is some science to business growth, but most experts agree that growing a business just to grow usually ends in disaster.
Have you taken stock of your limitations? Have you found that operating within those limitations has been successful? Has knowing your limitations as a company helped you to hire employees with the right skills to move toward the next level?