Too Big to Wing It. Too Small for a Strategy Team.
- Nigel Rushman
- Jul 8
- 2 min read
There’s a group of businesses I keep coming across - and chances are, you know one. You might even be running one.
They’re established, successful to a point, and often quietly ambitious. They’ve outgrown the early chaos but haven’t yet built the kind of structure you find in larger firms. And here’s the kicker:
They’re too big to wing it… but too small to justify a full-time strategy team.
That’s where the trouble begins.
The Strategic Gap No One Talks About
In these organisations, strategy is often unspoken. It lives in the head of the founder, the MD, or is scattered across departmental targets. Planning cycles are focused on revenue, hiring, maybe tech. But the bigger questions - where are we going, why, and what might blindside us? - go unasked or unanswered.
It’s not through lack of intelligence or intent. It’s usually a mix of time pressure, cultural momentum, and, frankly, not knowing where to start. The business works - until it doesn’t.
Markets change. Competitors shift. The team stops aligning. And suddenly, decisions feel heavier than they should.
Who’s Really Driving the Bus?
I’ve sat with many leaders in this position. They’re smart. They’ve built something real. But they’ll admit, sometimes quietly: “We’re making this up as we go along.”
The realisation is rarely about crisis. It’s more about control. Or the creeping sense that they’re no longer steering, just reacting. No one wants to feel like a passenger in their own business.
A Better Way - Without the Bureaucracy
This isn’t a call for endless off-sites, 400-slide decks, or strategy consultants who bill for breathing. Most mid-sized firms don’t need that. What they need is sharp thinking, fast insight, and a framework for making decisions with confidence.
Something external enough to challenge, but embedded enough to stick. Confidential, clear, and grounded in common sense.
That’s the space I’m interested in - and where we’ve been focusing a lot of our work recently.
If This Resonates
You’re not alone. Rough estimates suggest over half of medium-sized businesses operate without a meaningful strategy. That’s not a moral failing - it’s a gap in the market. One that needs filling with something practical, smart, and respectful of your time.
If this strikes a chord, get in touch. No pitch. Just a conversation
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