< Previous50 C EO M I D D L E E A S T JA N UA RY 202 1 Gaurav Sinha , chief strategist, Insignia Worldwide is a destination design, strategy and brand experience company T’S USUALLY IN YOUR MID40 -S when you discover that you can’t quite lose that extra kilo as effortlessly as you did when you were younger. In an average lifespan, this is what middle- aged feels like: the time when the lifestyle you keep and the level of mayhem you manage begins to tug at you, serving as a reminder that you’re not as indestruct- ible as you maybe once thought. So, I asked myself, could this meta- bolic meltdown be equally prevalent in businesses, where organisations suddenly realise that their swelt start-up bodies are now more rotund than robust – and that they simply can’t keep up with the pace of change as they once could? I am not going to dwell on curves, at least not the same way economists project growth, but it begs the question whether you’re a bell curve pointing downwards or a hockey stick that simply didn’t hit the right ball. Now here’s the bitter truth: Life presents unique complexities in your middle years and you need to prepare to overcome these conundrums with clarity and conviction because this is where you either fly from the cliff edge or fall off it. The energy of start-ups is remarkable. It’s amazing how motivated you are when you’ve got no money and potential failure is staring you in the face every moment. You’re driven to be frugal, furious and fantastic simultaneously and this vulner- ability gives birth to ingenious ideas – this is the story of most successful they’ve gained momentum and now it’s all about keeping it together or focus- ing on what one does best. But I think this is exactly the stage when most companies need to be counter-intuitive and challenge themselves to see if they are actually ahead of the pack. Companies that survive five years or more in business with positive cash- flow, stable fundamentals and a strong strategy should take advantage of their position to evaluate if they need to reinvent themselves or improve their proposition. After all, the best time to plan for war is peacetime. Many companies adapt only when tested by external market dynamics, shifting trends, changing demands, technological advancements and unexpected curve balls. My advice is that you consider a few ideas to make sure you’re not just burning fat but also gaining muscle; 1.Stay positively paranoid. Yes, there’s a possibility of redundancy. 2.Sharpen your perspective by remain- ing obsessively curious and constant- ly looking over the fence. 3. Only hire “intrepreneurs” as they will inspire change and culture. 4. Start fresh, everyday. I treat my own firm as a 17-year-old start-up. 5. Keep it tight and watch the pennies. 6. Learn. Adapt. Change. Implement. 7. Do it again if you failed. Success is an iterative experience. 8. Ask yourself if you were to start again, is this how I would do it? The answer will be evident and you should have the courage to accept what you just told yourself. 9. Cultivate ideas – but only as long as the DEWA bill is paid. Metabolism is related to momen- tum. Slow down and you put on weight. Keep moving and you will find new horizons. But do ensure you’re heading in the right direction. start-ups. Entrepreneurs are people with resilience, courage and a pinch of luck. Some enterprises rise to shine, some shine before they have risen but generally the good ones gain momentum and surge ahead. They survive the early years of cashflow challenges and cut through the clutter to make their mark. But what no one recognises is that the most rapid pace of change occurs in the early years within most companies, similar to when a baby is born but takes nearly a year to learn how to walk properly, but the day it does, it runs every time it gets the chance. That’s the genius of early years in business – you think you’re surviv- ing but actually you’re experiencing the highest metabolism of change you’ve ever experienced in your life. A large number of companies fall into a rhythm once I FINAL THOUGHTS END JUST LIKE THE AVERAGE HUMAN BEING, MOST BUSINESSES TEND TO PUT ON WEIGHT AS THEY GET OLDER AND THEN LOSE THEIR WINNING ADVANTAGE, WRITES GAURAV SINHA WHAT’S YOUR METABOLISM FOR CHANGE?CELEBRATING THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS IN LOGISTICS #LOGMEAwards TH FOR SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: BENJAMIN MCGLADDERY Sales Manager Tel: +971 4 444 3125 Email: benjamin.mcgladdery@itp.com FOR TABLE BOOKINGS, CONTACT: ANTHONY CHANDRAN Table Sales Executive Tel: +971 4 444 3685 Email: anthony.chandran@itp.com FOR NOMINATION ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: EBONIE PLATFOOT Events Manager Tel: +971 4 444 3689 Email: ebonie.platfoot@itp.com PLATINUM SPONSOR MEDIA PARTNERNext >