American psychologist Abraham Maslow is credited with saying that at any given moment, humans have two options: to step forward into growth, or step backward into safety. Stepping forward requires vision, courage, and an appetite for change. And stepping backward – out of uncertainty, anxiety, or discomfort – anchors us to the status quo.

In the business sense, this is a life-or-death decision. Growth is what distinguishes ‘winners and losers’ in times of turbulence. But planning for growth – and making growth actually happen – is a challenge for every leader.

Our recent piece, Three To Get Ready, explored how to best prepare to implement organizational plans. There we introduced the Readiness Triad as it relates to making…