If there’s one truth about entrepreneurship that’s hard to swallow, it’s this: your business will always be broken. Not in a doom-and-gloom way, but in the sense that growth reveals new cracks, complexity adds new risks, and success itself demands constant evolution. The question isn’t if issues will arise—but when and how you’ll deal with them.
The article “Your Business Will Always Be Broken” reminds us that being reactive is like patching a leaky roof during a rainstorm. It’s messy, stressful, and you often miss the root of the problem. Proactive leadership, on the other hand, is your shield. It’s what separates the entrepreneurs who thrive through chaos from those who burn out trying to catch up.
Here are five actionable ways to be proactively ready—before your next business “break” appears.
1. Track What Matters: Identify and Monitor Key Metrics
Let’s be real—if you’re not measuring it, you’re not managing it. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are your business’s pulse. They’re not just for large corporations with massive data teams. Even a solopreneur can (and should) track metrics like:
- Client retention rate
- Monthly recurring revenue
- Employee satisfaction
- Net promoter score (NPS)
The trick isn’t just collecting data, but knowing which data truly impacts your operations. When tracked consistently, these numbers become your early warning system. They let you know what’s going off course before you hit the iceberg.
2. Log Every Issue—Yes, Every Single One
In the heat of a problem, it’s tempting to fix it and move on. But that’s a missed opportunity. Great leaders use an issue log—a simple but powerful tool to document problems, track frequency, and pinpoint patterns.
Here’s what a good log includes:
- Date of the issue
- Who or what was impacted
- Immediate fix
- Suggested long-term solution
- Who will be responsible to resolve the issue
Reviewing this log regularly helps you spot recurring bottlenecks, poor processes, or employee training gaps. It’s like keeping a diary of your company’s growing pains—and using that diary to plan for its future.
3. Future-Proof Your Processes
What works today may become a roadblock tomorrow. A CRM that works great for 30 clients might crumble at 300. The same goes for hiring practices, onboarding procedures, or customer service playbooks.
Proactive leaders constantly ask:
“Will this system scale with us?”
Build processes that evolve. Standardize procedures, create documentation, and revisit systems at every growth milestone. You don’t want to wait until your system breaks under pressure to realize you’ve outgrown it.
4. Resolve (or Plan to Resolve) Problems Quickly
Proactive doesn’t mean perfect. Issues will arise. But the difference between a proactive and reactive leader is in how fast they either resolve them—or make a plan to do so.
Here’s a simple framework:
- Triage the problem: Is it urgent or important?
- Assign accountability: Who owns this issue?
- Schedule a follow-up: When will we check progress?
Even if a fix isn’t immediate, having a roadmap to resolution builds trust with your team and clients. It also keeps problems from becoming full-blown disasters.
5. Build a Culture of Continuous Feedback
Your team is on the frontlines. They see the gaps before you do. Encourage regular feedback loops and create a safe space for people to report issues—even if they don’t have the solution.
One small way to do this? Start every team meeting with a simple question:
“What’s one thing we should improve?”
You’ll be surprised how often small insights lead to big breakthroughs.
🎯 Bonus: Pair this with your issue log and you’ve got a feedback machine that fuels your evolution.
Proactive Leadership is Mindset Over Mechanics
Ultimately, being proactive is less about tools and more about mindset. It’s about being okay with the fact that your business is a work in progress—and leading like it.
So ask yourself:
- Am I waiting for things to break before I act?
- Or am I creating a culture, systems, and mindset that’s built to withstand—and evolve through—chaos?
Because while your business may always be broken in some way… proactive leadership makes sure it never stays that way for long.
