For many of us Gen Xers, Duncan Sheik’s “Barely Breathing” immediately brings back memories of another time.
His recent passing at 56 is a sobering reminder that the time we spend with our families, colleagues and clients is precious. While his 1996 song is about the strain of a toxic relationship, it has made me think a lot about how many people and organizations today are, in a sense, barely breathing.
Volatility has become the operating environment. Customer expectations are rising. Supply chains remain unpredictable. Costs are under pressure. Teams are being asked to deliver more with fewer resources.
In many businesses, people are constantly racing from one urgent issue to the next:
- Hypercare calls following customer service failures
- Expediting materials after an unexpected disruption
- Escalating quality or production problems
- Reworking forecasts that were unreliable from the start
- Managing inventory shortages in one area and excess in another
- Responding to the latest customer request without clear priorities
The organization remains active, but activity should not be confused with progress.
When Urgency Becomes the Operating Model
Hypercare can be necessary. A serious customer or supply issue demands immediate attention and strong leadership. The problem begins when hypercare becomes a permanent condition.
Recurring escalation calls, executive intervention and daily firefighting are symptoms. They indicate that the underlying operating system is not identifying risk, establishing accountability or resolving problems quickly enough.
This creates a dangerous cycle:
- Leaders become absorbed in immediate issues.
- Strategic priorities receive less attention.
- Root causes remain unresolved.
- The same problems return.
- The organization becomes even more reactive.
Eventually, the business has little capacity left for innovation, customer development or transformation. It is spending all its energy trying to catch its breath.
Leaders Should Create Breathing Room. In volatile conditions, leaders must do more than increase the pace. They must create clarity.
That starts by separating the critical few priorities from the constant noise. It means establishing clear decision rights, assigning accountable owners and focusing the organization on the measures that determine enterprise performance.
Those measures will differ by business, but the questions are usually straightforward:
- Are we converting opportunities into profitable orders?
- Are orders moving into production on time?
- Is production being completed right the first time?
- Are finished goods being released and shipped without delay?
- Are we converting shipments into cash?
- Are we solving the causes of customer disruption, or repeatedly treating the symptoms?
- Is management time being invested in value creation or consumed by escalation?
These are not simply operational metrics. They connect customer service, working capital, margin and growth directly to EBITDA and enterprise value.
Take a Deep Breath
Taking a deep breath does not mean slowing down or accepting lower urgency. It means creating enough organizational space to see the business clearly.
The strongest leaders bring calm without becoming complacent. They help teams move from reaction to prioritization, from escalation to accountability and from activity to measurable performance.
They simplify the agenda. They establish the operating cadence. They connect decisions to financial outcomes. Most importantly, they give people confidence that the organization is addressing the root causes, not simply surviving another difficult week.
Businesses should not be barely breathing.
They should be breathing deeply, operating deliberately and directing their energy toward the few actions that will materially improve customer performance, cash flow, EBITDA and growth.
At Mangrove Performance Group, we help leadership teams break through the noise, stabilize execution and build the operating discipline required for sustainable value creation.
Sometimes the first step in moving faster is creating enough clarity to breathe.
Matt Unger | Founder, Mangrove Performance Group