The Sweet Spot: Why Balance Beats Extremes in Your Business

Written with assistance from ChatGPT

Introduction

Small business owners learn to be excellent technicians — precise, correct, methodical. But leadership isn’t about getting one correct answer. It’s about finding the balanced answer.

What Aristotle Actually Taught

Aristotle’s Golden Mean isn’t ancient philosophy for its own sake. It says:

Virtue and success live between extremes.
Too much, or too little, both lead to failure.

Where This Shows Up Every Day

Sales

• Too low = stagnation

• Too high = overwhelmed delivery
  Balanced sales growth sustains the business.

Pricing

• Too cheap = poor margins

• Too expensive = no traction
  Balanced pricing reflects value and market reality.

Delegation

• Too little = you become the bottleneck

• Too much = loss of control
  Balanced delegation creates freedom with oversight.

Innovation

• Too much = chaos

• Too little = stagnation
  Balanced evolution keeps the business relevant.

The Leadership Shift

Technicians aim for correctness.
Directors aim for judgment.
Balance isn’t indecision — it’s informed, intentional choice.

Practical Habit to Build Judgement

Before every major decision, ask:

“What are the two extremes?
Where is the productive middle?”

This simple framing cuts noise and reveals clarity.