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Landing Is Harder Than Taking Off

Navigating Business Growth, Plateaus, and Exits: A Journey of Takeoff, Descent, and Landing

Running a business is a lot like flying an airplane. Whether you’re building your company from the ground up, facing a challenging plateau, or preparing for an exit, each phase is akin to different stages of flight: takeoff, cruising altitude, descent, and landing. The analogy becomes especially relevant when you consider the ease of takeoff compared to the complexity of landing—especially on a small runway. Let’s explore how this comparison applies to navigating the business landscape.

Takeoff: The Thrill of Growth

When a business takes off, it’s like a plane accelerating down the runway and lifting off into the sky. The process of starting and growing a company, much like ascending into flight, can be exhilarating. At the outset, there’s a clear sense of purpose, momentum, and forward motion.

During growth, businesses are in “takeoff mode”—they’re gathering speed, attracting customers, and scaling. In this phase, founders and entrepreneurs often experience the excitement of hitting milestones, expanding teams, securing investment, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. There’s energy and forward drive. Much like a plane climbing into the sky, a business finds itself gaining altitude quickly—sometimes faster than anticipated.

Cruising Altitude: The Plateau

After a business has reached its desired growth, it hits a cruising altitude. This is the period where things seem stable, predictable, and smooth. However, much like an airplane flying in the air at a steady 25,000 to 37,000 feet, this phase can lead to a challenging plateau.

In business, cruising is often associated with reaching a stage where growth has slowed, and the company has to maintain its operations at optimal efficiency to stay profitable. The excitement of constant upward growth may fade, and the path ahead may seem uncertain. The business must now focus on maintaining stability, optimizing processes, and weathering any turbulence, such as economic downturns or market shifts. Growth has slowed, and reaching the next level requires careful navigation.

This is where the metaphor of cruising altitude becomes crucial. Just like an airplane might hit a plateau at cruising altitude, where it’s neither ascending nor descending, a business might find itself stuck in a holding pattern. Both require skill, focus, and the right adjustments to break through this phase.

Descent: Navigating Challenges

Descending from cruising altitude is one of the trickiest parts of a flight. The descent requires careful planning and precision—because the pilot has to account for airspeed, altitude, and approach. Similarly, a business going through a challenging plateau faces difficulties when trying to maintain momentum or pivot into new growth areas. The risks are higher, and a wrong move can lead to failure, much like a plane descending too quickly or at the wrong angle.

For businesses, descending can mean navigating the complexities of market saturation, stiff competition, or internal inefficiencies. As growth slows or a company prepares for a strategic shift, managing the descent is a balancing act. The company must avoid free-fall into crisis, but also cannot simply maintain an unsustainable altitude. Just like a plane needs to adjust its course and speed before touching down, businesses need to adjust operations, market strategies, and financial plans to navigate these rough patches.

Landing: Preparing for an Exit

Landing a plane is one of the most delicate phases of flight. While ascending and cruising are thrilling, nothing compares to the intricate task of making a safe landing. This is especially true if the runway is short, or the aircraft is moving at 150 MPH or more.

Similarly, when preparing for an exit—whether through a sale, acquisition, or IPO—a business must execute with precision. Unlike the growth phase, where there is a rush of new opportunities, the exit phase requires discipline, a steady hand, and an understanding of all variables involved.

Business leaders must ensure their company’s operations are in order, address outstanding issues, and ensure their organization is attractive to potential buyers or investors. Just as a pilot must approach the runway with caution, adjusting speed and altitude perfectly to avoid overshooting the landing strip, entrepreneurs must carefully position their business to make a successful exit. A poorly managed exit can spell disaster for the company’s legacy, much like a botched landing can ruin a flight.

The Common Thread: Precision and Strategy

The key similarity between the stages of flight and the business journey—whether growing, plateauing, or exiting—is that success requires precision, strategic planning, and adapting to the environment. In the same way that a plane needs a pilot to adjust its course to handle turbulence, businesses need leaders who can navigate through challenging market conditions, technological changes, and internal challenges.

The further you get into the business lifecycle, the more critical it becomes to anticipate future challenges and make adjustments accordingly. A great takeoff doesn’t guarantee a perfect descent or a smooth landing. Business owners must constantly recalibrate, much like pilots monitoring weather conditions and adjusting their flight path accordingly.

Ultimately, while it might be thrilling to ascend in business, it’s the final descent and landing that often proves most difficult. But with careful preparation, attention to detail, and an eye on the horizon, entrepreneurs can achieve a successful exit or transition—just as a skilled pilot lands their plane safely at the end of a journey.

Conclusion

Business growth, plateaus, and exits each have their own set of challenges and rewards, much like the stages of flight. Taking off and climbing to new heights can be exciting and full of potential, but descending from those heights and landing—especially on a short runway—requires precision, foresight, and expertise. Whether you’re growing, navigating a plateau, or preparing for an exit, remember that careful planning, strategic decisions, and the ability to adapt are the keys to a smooth journey. Just like a pilot who must carefully descend and land on a small runway, a business must approach its next phase with skill and precision to ensure a successful outcome.

Paul Fioravanti, MBA, MPA, CTP, is the CEO & Managing Partner of QORVAL Partners, LLC, a FL-based advisory firm (founded 1996 by Jim Malone, six-time Fortune 100/500 CEO) Qorval is a US-based turnaround, restructuring, business optimization and interim management firm. Fioravanti is a proven turnaround CEO with experience in more than 90 situations in more than 40 industries. He earned his MBA and MPA from the University of Rhode Island and completed advanced post-master’s research in finance and marketing at Bryant University. He is a Certified Turnaround Professional and member of the Turnaround Management Association, the Private Directors Association, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Association of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&MA), the American Bankruptcy Institute, and IMCUSA. Copyright 2024, Qorval Partners LLC and/or Paul Fioravanti, MBA, MPA, CTP. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution without permission.

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