After the Applause: Turning Wins Into Lasting Momentum

What a Top Workplace award and a quarterly planning session reminded me about how to build on progress.

Last week, Forge was named one of Iowa’s Top Workplaces by the Des Moines Register. It’s not our first time on the list, but this year we reached our highest spot yet at #14 in the small business category. I was also honored as Small Business Leader of the Year.

It was humbling and exciting — but it quickly reminded me that recognition isn’t the finish line.

A few days later, our leadership team gathered for quarterly planning. The lesson became clear.

Celebration and Reality Collide

The award still felt warm in my hands, but the agenda in front of us wasn’t ceremonial: capacity planning, budgeting, team development, projects for the next quarter.

We always start these sessions by celebrating wins and looking at what to keep, stop, and improve. But this time, the wins and the keep columns overflowed. We named client successes, internal improvements, cultural wins, and, yes, the new awards. It was the longest list we’ve ever made.

For a bunch of perfectionist/improver types, myself chief among them, that’s not our default — but it was exactly what we needed. We lingered on what was working and really let it land before we talked about anything else.

Only after celebrating did we move on to “stop” and “improve.” And when we did, the conversation was sharper and more hopeful because it was grounded in real momentum.

That morning underscored something I’ve seen again and again: recognition gives you fuel. But you still have to steer.

Milestones don’t make the next stage less complex. Your people look to you for vision. Your systems have to stretch. Your role as leader keeps evolving. But the energy from a win can make the work feel lighter, if you use it with intention.

Why Success Can Be Dangerous

I’ve seen the other side too. A company lands a major new contract, wins a “best place to work” award, or finishes a record year, and then drifts. Sometimes they assume the momentum will carry itself. Other times they chase the next shiny idea without strengthening what’s already working. Either way, the glow fades and the team loses focus.

That’s what happens when you burn the fuel of success without converting it into direction.

What to Do After a Win

Because recognition only powers what comes next — it’s never arrival — we’ve built a quarterly rhythm at Forge to turn it into forward motion. Every quarterly session begins with celebration and then an After Action Review: what to keep, stop, and improve. That cadence helps us handle both growth milestones and the tougher seasons without drifting or burning out.

It works even when the quarter hasn’t felt like a highlight reel. Some quarters you’re winning; other times you’re learning — sometimes both at once. Either way, the same questions keep you grounded: celebrate what worked, harvest the lessons from what didn’t, and reset direction with clarity.

Here’s the pattern we return to whenever recognition or a big milestone arrives:

• Pause to celebrate. Mark the moment meaningfully. Gratitude fuels culture, and your people need to feel the win.
• Reconnect to purpose. Remind everyone who you are and where you’re going, beyond the plaque or headline. This clarity keeps energy from scattering.
• Refocus priorities. Momentum is powerful but directionless without a plan. Use the energy of a win to clarify the next three to five priorities that will keep growth healthy.
• Protect the progress. Wins can lead to drift or burnout if you don’t set new guardrails: fresh goals, boundaries, and ways of working that fit your next stage.

That extra-long keep list we built this quarter didn’t just make us feel good. It gave us a solid platform before problem-solving. It reminded us we’re not starting from scratch; we’re building on real, tested strengths.

Leading Beyond the Win

I won’t pretend the recognition didn’t feel good. It did. I’m proud of the team we’ve built and the clients we serve. But the deeper satisfaction came a few days later, in that conference room, when a group of driven leaders stopped long enough to see how far we’d come — and then got back to the work of improving what comes next.

Growth isn’t a finish line; it’s an ongoing process. Wins give you perspective and energy, but they don’t end the work. The real leadership challenge is to celebrate without getting complacent; to convert recognition into renewed purpose and clear next steps.

So when your business hits a milestone — big client, banner year, community recognition — enjoy it. Take photos. Share the story. Make the longest ‘keep doing this’ list you’ve ever made. Then turn that fuel into clear, focused action. Celebrate well, then lead on. Your team’s next chapter depends on it.