Managing "what is" vs. "for more"

Let's consider two business situations. One where the business is looking for growth in order to become profitable. In need of "more" to survive, we have to accept more unknowns and take more risk. It's part of what we do. Another situation is where the business has done some healthy growing, is now profitable, seems sustainable at these levels, and looks to take some risk off the table by managing "what is" more effectively.

Managing "what is" effectively is a different skill than managing "for more". It's possible for one person to be capable in both situations, but the more likely scenario is that we lean one way or the other. Consider the case where you start out as a "more" person by necessity; it's what we do. Then - after a successful run of "more", you begin to protect "what is". Some might argue that once you've moved away from the clarity of the growth requirement, it becomes much more difficult to see where you are.