Welcome to a new style of blog post from Denyse at C3Centricity. After years of writing about the latest theories and best-practice solutions, I decided it was time to get a little (a lot?) closer to my followers with more personalised and down-to-earth pieces.
Let me know which you prefer by commenting below or dropping me a line at denysedd@c3centricity.com. Thanks.
Ever feel like you’re trying to sprint through quicksand? Same here. Lately, I’ve been wondering: what if the fastest way to accelerate growth… is actually a full stop?
We live in a world obsessed with quarterly targets, AI arms races, and endless “go faster” pressure, suggesting a pause sounds almost sacrilegious. But — what if slowing down isn’t a weakness?
What if it’s your ultimate competitive advantage?
It’s not just theory. Over the last two decades, I’ve seen it firsthand. The most innovative companies? They deliberately build strategic slowdowns into their growth cycles.
Sound crazy? Yeah, I thought so too… until I saw it. Again. And again. And again.
The Acceleration Trap
Let’s be honest. Most of us are stuck in a race we didn’t mean to enter — constantly pushing harder, believing it’s the only way to accelerate growth.
Another quarter. Another stretch goal. Another fire drill. Celebrate a win for 3.5 seconds… then rush headfirst into the next thing.
And how’s that working out?
If you’re like most leaders I meet, you’re seeing diminishing returns. High-performer burnout. Innovation that’s… meh. Not breakthrough. Just more of the same.
Look, I get it. Take Top CPG Inc. (name changed!). Their CEO once bragged to me: “We’re always in fifth gear.”
Eighteen months later? They laid off 30% of their workforce after three failed product launches and a mass talent exodus.
The data backs it up too. McKinsey recently found that 67% of executives feel trapped in constant acceleration — unable to break free without risking their position.
Think about that.
Two-thirds of our leaders are exhausted… but feel they can’t stop.
Is that where innovation thrives?
Is that where the best decisions get made?
Not a chance.
Ready to reignite momentum in your career or company? Book a complimentary 30-minute Momentum Makeover Call where we’ll identify your key acceleration opportunities.
The Power of the Strategic Pause
Now, before you panic — I’m not suggesting you slam on the brakes. There’s a world of difference between stagnation (which kills companies) and strategic pauses (which save them).
I’ll never forget a conversation with the CMO of a major European consumer goods company. Growth had stalled. Teams were exhausted. He leaned across the table and said:
We’ve been so busy sailing… we haven’t checked if we’re heading toward the right shore.
Oof. That hit hard.
They took what I now call a Strategic Momentum Pause — eight weeks designed to reset priorities and create a real foundation to accelerate growth again. Two months of:
Suspending all non-essential projects
Deep-dive customer immersion sessions
Fresh competitive landscape analysis
Innovation time with no deliverables
The results?
Uncovered a €380M adjacent market opportunity
Rebuilt their innovation pipeline around fewer, bigger ideas
Boosted employee engagement by 24% in six months
Coincidence? No way!
Harvard Business School research shows companies that build reflection periods outperform peers by 23–37% on innovation and profitability metrics.
But — and this is critical — a strategic pause isn’t a vacation.
It’s an intentional, structured recalibration.
The thinking time you’re too busy to take… but desperately need.
Need help structuring your strategic pause? I’m currently booking keynote presentations on “The Momentum Paradox” for leadership retreats and conferences. Contact me to discuss how I can help your team embrace the power of strategic pauses.
Recalibration: Finding Your True North
So what actually happens in a strategic pause?
In a word: recalibration.
When was the last time you — really — asked:
Are we solving the right problems?
Do we still understand what our customers value most?
Are our core assumptions even valid anymore?
(Yeah. That silence? Happens to everyone.)
Look at Patagonia. Their consistent realignment around environmental values isn’t fluffy PR — it’s their navigation system. It’s why they’ve outperformed competitors again and again.
When I guide teams through Strategic Pauses, we use three simple (but ruthless) questions:
Challenge assumptions: What “truths” are you clinging to without proof?
Listen differently: What inconvenient signals have you been ignoring?
Reimagine success: If you started fresh today, what would you prioritize?
I helped a tech company do this recently. Their assumption? More users = more profits. During their pause, they realized that user quality — not quantity — was the missing link. They rewired their entire model around value, not vanity metrics.
That’s the power of a real pause.
You see what’s been hiding in plain sight.
The Momentum Paradox Framework
Okay — you’re convinced (or at least curious I hope).
So how do you actually do this without losing market share or freaking out your board?
Here’s the 5-step framework I’ve used everywhere — from scrappy startups to Fortune 500s — to help leaders pause intentionally and then accelerate growth faster than ever.
Signal the Shift: Tell stakeholders the pause is a strength move, not a retreat. Your mantra? “We’re pausing to accelerate.”
Create Containment: Define crystal-clear boundaries. (Customer support? Stays on. New feature launches? Pause.)
Excavate Insights: Structure it. Interviews, customer immersions, frontline feedback — not just C-suite brainstorming.
Pattern Recognition: Don’t just collect insights. Hunt for weird connections. Outliers. Hidden friction points.
Catalyst Selection: Pick 2–3 leverage points where a small shift = massive impact.
During your pause, track metrics differently:
Insight density: New insights per week.
Question quality: Are you asking better questions over time?
Alignment clarity: Is your team converging around new priorities?
And one more thing:
Manage the anxiety.
Share small, regular updates — insights, discoveries, reflections.
One client used weekly “Excavation Reports” to keep the board excited, not panicked.
Struggling to get leadership buy-in for a strategic pause? My “Reigniting Momentum” workshop breaks down the science behind strategic deceleration in a way that convinces even the most skeptical executives. Book a call to discuss bringing this transformative workshop to your organization.
Accelerating Out of the Turn
Now — here’s the real magic.
Acceleration after a strategic pause isn’t gradual.
It’s explosive.
It’s like racing Formula 1: Pros brake before the corner… so they can fly out of it.
After your pause, you should re-emerge with:
Sharper direction (no more death-by-initiative)
Recharged teams (finally connected to the “why”)
Laser focus on fewer, bigger bets
I watched a regional bank do this.
Before: 12 digital transformation projects, all half-baked.
After their Strategic Pause: Two laser-focused plays — and they leapfrogged bigger, flashier competitors within 9 months.
You’ll be tempted to slip back into the old chaos. Don’t. Stay disciplined. Protect your insights. Honour the clarity you fought for.
Is It Time for Your Own Strategic Pause?
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably feeling a little something inside. Maybe even a little scared. Good. It means you’re awake.
Here’s what I know:
If your teams use words like “frantic” or “unsustainable”…
If innovation feels tired, not electric…
If you’re hitting targets but missing the big picture…
If your top talent is quietly disengaging…
You need a Strategic Pause.
It takes guts to hit pause when the world says “faster, faster, faster.” But the leaders who do? They’re the ones who’ll dominate the next decade.
Will you be one of them?
I’d love to hear your take.
Ever tried a strategic pause? Think it sounds risky?
Shoot me a comment below — or send me a note at denysedd@c3centricity.com. I read every one.
Ready to Reignite Momentum in Your Career or Company?
If you’re feeling that tug… don’t ignore it.
Here’s how we can work together to help you reignite momentum and accelerate growth in your career or company.
Business Momentum Makeover Call — 30-minutes. Laser-focused. Let’s find your biggest acceleration traps — and the breakthrough that’s waiting on the other side.
Book your complimentary call HERE.“The Momentum Paradox” Keynote — Fire up your next leadership event with this counterintuitive but proven approach to sustainable growth. (And yes, it’s packed with real-world case studies, not fluff.)
Strategic Pause Facilitation — Bring me in to structure your Strategic Pause. I’ll help your team find clarity, focus, and fresh momentum without getting stuck in the chaos.
No pressure. No hard pitch. Just a real conversation about where momentum could take you next.
Book your Business Momentum Makeover Call now.
