When Facing Challenges, Your Company Might Be Better Off Staying Small and Nimble Know when to stop, reflect and look ahead.

By Scott Wylie Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Sometimes even startups have to hit the pause button.

I know, it's not easy. Hard-charging, risk-taking entrepreneurs don't like to slow down and look at the run down the mountain before diving in.

But the smart ones do. After all, you have to know where are the bumps, where is the ice and what about those trees?

The size of your company can often dictate how nimble you can be, how easy it can be to change course when the view ahead gets cloudy. Trust me, it occasionally will.

Related: How to Give Every Team Member a Tax-Free 'Raise'

Scott Wylie

Chairman and CEO, First Western

Scott Wylie co-founded First Western in 2002 after recognizing the need for an integrated approach for delivering financial services to the growing affluent market. As chairman and CEO of First Western, Wylie provides leadership for the holding company, as well as management of the bank and trust services. Most recently, he served as chairman and CEO of Northern Trust Bank of Colorado after having sold his prior institution, Trust Bank of Colorado, to Northern in 1998.

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