For generations, the playbook for entering a new market was straightforward: conduct due diligence, analyse the competition, build a business case, and execute. It was a linear process, built on the assumption of a relatively stable and predictable global landscape.
That playbook is now dangerously obsolete.
Today’s leaders are navigating a world defined not by stability, but by constant, multi-faceted turbulence. The map has changed, and the old routes lead directly into storms.
At Advisors Collective, we see this every day: ambitious expansion plans falter not because of a bad product or a weak sales team, but because leadership was unprepared for the complex, non-market forces now shaping business success.
We call this new reality the MORE framework—a set of interconnected challenges that have rendered traditional strategies insufficient.
- Misinformation: In a world of digital saturation and state-sponsored narratives, reputational risk is at an all-time high. A single piece of misinformation can erode customer trust or attract regulatory scrutiny overnight.
- Operational Complexity: Fragile supply chains, climate disruptions, and digital vulnerabilities have transformed operational planning from a predictable exercise into a constant battle against volatility.
- Regulatory Shifts: Governments are increasingly using regulations—from data privacy and ESG standards to carbon tariffs—as tools of industrial and foreign policy, creating a complex and unpredictable compliance landscape.
- Economic Nationalism: The rise of protectionism, “friend-shoring,” and industrial self-sufficiency means that market access can no longer be taken for granted. Political alignment is becoming as important as commercial viability.
The Governance Failure: Mistaking a Storm for a Breeze
The greatest mistake a board or leadership team can make is to treat these issues as external “noise” rather than core strategic risks.
An expansion strategy that fails to stress-test itself against the MORE framework is not a strategy at all; it is a gamble.
Effective governance in this new era requires moving beyond the traditional P&L and asking harder, more probing questions:
- Have we fully understood the political and regulatory risks in our target market, and do we have a plan to mitigate them?
- Is our supply chain resilient enough to withstand plausible disruptions, or is it a single point of failure?
- How will we protect our brand’s reputation in a market with different cultural and political norms?
You Don’t Navigate a Storm with a Tourist Map
In this environment, experience is the ultimate currency. You need counsel from leaders who have navigated these turbulent waters before—who have “sea-tested” experience in managing geopolitical risk, leading through crises, and making high-stakes decisions under pressure.
At Advisors Collective, our advisors are former executives and board leaders who bring this lived experience. We provide the objective, unvarnished perspective needed to challenge assumptions, identify blind spots, and build a market-entry strategy that is not just ambitious, but resilient.
We act as the navigator for your leadership team, helping you distinguish signal from noise and build a playbook that is fit for this new, more turbulent world. Because in today’s market, the greatest risk isn’t failing to grow; it’s trying to grow with a map that no longer reflects the territory.
Sources:
- ‘Confronting the complexities of a changing geopolitical landscape’ – McKinsey & Company
- ‘The Top Risks for Business in 2024’ – World Economic Forum
- ‘Navigating the new era of economic nationalism’ – Harvard Business Review
