CHAPTER 4
The Sirens of Growth
“To the Sirens first shalt thou come, who bewitch all men, whosoever shall come to them. . . . Whoso draws nigh them unwittingly and hears the sound of the Sirens’ voice, never doth he see wife or babes stand by him on his return . . . but the Sirens enchant him with their clear song, sitting in the meadow, and all about is a great heap of bones of men.”
—HOMER, THE ODYSSEY1
As a quick refresher on Greek mythology, the Sirens were the enchanting yet dangerous creatures that seduced sailors with beautiful songs, luring them to their deaths as they crashed on rocky shores. In business, we see a similar dynamic: certain growth strategies come to the fore and lure business leaders onto treacherous paths. These strategies ...
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