Successful leaders maintain a “productive paranoia” about their business even in good times

10xers are companies whose performance beat their industry indexes by a minimum of ten times over fifteen years

I am accused frequently of worrying a lot about my business. I worry about attracting and retaining top talent, a dynamic business environment, competitors, cash flow, and others risks both known and unknown. I have had this “healthy paranoia” for a long time. It enables me to be prepared for “Black Swan” events that are unpredictable and can be disruptive to the business.

10Xers remain productively paranoid in good times, recognizing that it’s what they do before the storm comes that matters most. Since it’s impossible to consistently predict specific disruptive events, they systematically build buffers and shock absorbers for dealing with unexpected events. They put in place their extra oxygen canisters long before they’re hit with a storm.

Jim Collins, Morten T. Hansen Great By Choice.

Jeff Giampalmi