Protecting Business Momentum When External Forces Disrupt the Plan
Momentum is energizing. It builds confidence inside a team and shapes the story customers tell about the business. It reinforces belief that the direction is right.
Until something happens that the plan did not account for.
An example from my own experiences:
A tragedy – The loss of a key team member or the impact of a natural disaster.
A government decision – Interest rate shifts, tariffs, or regulatory change.
A technological shift – A competitor breakthrough or adoption of a new standard.
When these shifts happen suddenly, the outcome you were working toward may no longer be available.
In those moments, responsibility shifts and there is an opportunity to overcome the situation by creating a new direction for the business momentum. Adapting is the key.
The shifts can feel daunting when the disruption has dimensions so large (financially, operationally, or from a people standpoint) that responding to it has the potential be costly, destabilizing, and potentially set performance back multiple quarters.
The truth is, momentum does not always stall because of poor performance. Sometimes it stalls because external forces move faster than expected. And sometimes the deeper truth is that volatility was not fully contemplated.
The question is not whether disruption will happen. It will. It’s whether we are truly prepared for it and how we lead when it does.
Three Key Leadership Takeaways
1. Disruption Outside of Control Can Still Define the Trajectory
Have you considered the risks that could destabilize the progress the organization is making?
These moments require trade-offs, prioritization, and hard choices that may affect performance for quarters, not weeks. Thinking through those scenarios before they happen builds discipline.
2. Disruption Can Create Unexpected Advantages
External shifts are not always negative. Sometimes new demand appears. Sometimes competitors stumble. Sometimes technology unlocks opportunities faster than you expected.
When that happens, do we acknowledge the volatility that created the upside? Or do we quietly absorb it and assume conditions will remain favorable?
Preparation applies in both directions.
3. The Human Impact Is Often Underestimated
Disruption reshapes forecasts. It also reshapes people.
When expected business disappears, morale and confidence erode. When unexpected business flows in, our teams are asked to work harder, faster, and differently, often without time to adjust.
Momentum gained or lost is carried most deeply by the individuals responsible for delivering it.
Leadership requires acknowledging both the operational shift and the human one.
This Week’s Ripple Effect
Preparedness is not pessimism. It is discipline.
Too often, threat discussions are discounted in favor of optimism. But the conversations that feel uncomfortable, the ones that explore what could truly break the business, are often the most valuable.
Ask yourself:
Are we testing our assumptions or protecting them?
Are we planning for resilience or assuming stability?
Are we having critical thinking conversations or chasing success so urgently that we pretend the world will cooperate?
Momentum isn’t just about forward motion, but also preparedness when motion is interrupted.
A CEO Question:
Where do you create space in your organization to seriously explore what could disrupt your momentum? And are those conversations happening before the disruption forces them?
