A lot of businesses don’t have a growth problem.

They have a stage problem.

I’ve just revisited the book "Predictable Success" by Les McKeown — and it perfectly explains why so many businesses feel harder to run than they should.

The book’s core idea is simple:

Businesses move through predictable stages.

What worked at £1m revenue will break at £5m.

What worked at £5m revenue will stall at £10m.

Here’s what I see as well 👇

⚠️ Stage: “Whitewater”

Symptoms:

 • Founder overwhelmed

 • Missed deadlines

 • Firefighting culture

 • Cash surprises

Fix:

 → Clarify decision rights

 → Install weekly KPI rhythm

 → Hire a strong operator (not another visionary)

 → Build process around delivery

⚠️ Stage: “Treadmill”

Symptoms:

 • Lots of meetings

 • Slower decisions

 • Innovation fading

 • “We’ve always done it this way”

Fix:

 → Strip out unnecessary reporting

 → Reconnect leadership with customers

 → Create a small innovation team with real authority

 → Rebalance the leadership mix

The key lesson from Predictable Success:

High-performing businesses balance three types of leadership:

 • Visionary (future-focused)

 • Operator (results-focused)

 • Processor (systems-focused)

Most SMEs are overweight in one.

As a Fractional FD, my job isn’t just to report numbers.

 It’s to help owners see:

👉 What stage are we in?

👉 What leadership gap is holding us back?

👉 What system needs building next?

Growth becomes “predictable” when:

 • Cash is visible

 • KPIs are owned

 • Decisions are structured

 • Leadership roles are clear

If your business feels harder than it should right now, you’re probably not broken.

You’re just at a different stage.