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As companies grow, the barriers to performance aren’t always dramatic—but they are persistent. They show up as missed numbers, fragmented execution, cultural fatigue, and a general sense that something is off, even if the P&L doesn’t yet reflect it. At 4 Square Advisors , we’ve seen these patterns across dozens of companies in manufacturing, packaging, and industrial sectors. Below are four of the most common—and most urgent—challenges facing mid-market leadership teams today

Manufacturing leaders have long anticipated a workforce challenge. But what was once a slow-moving concern has become an urgent threat. Across the U.S., skilled trades—machinists, tool-and-die makers, automation technicians, industrial maintenance pros—are aging out. And not enough talent is stepping in to take their place. This isn’t a theoretical risk. It’s a daily operational constraint. Projects stall because there aren’t enough qualified hands to run or maintain equipmen

Every organization claims to value accountability. But in practice, many companies struggle to define it—let alone build it into their daily operations. What starts as a cultural blind spot becomes a structural issue. Expectations blur. Ownership weakens. And performance plateaus. The accountability gap is a serious impediment to growth You can feel it in the cadence of the business. Deadlines slip quietly. Projects stall without consequence. Meetings become more about report

In many mid-sized and growing companies, operations evolve organically—shaped by people, workarounds, and urgency. What begins as nimble becomes patchwork. At some point, growth outpaces structure. Demand outpaces visibility. And execution breaks under the weight of complexity. When that tipping point arrives, it rarely announces itself with a single failure. Instead, it shows up in persistent friction: missed shipments, late-stage scrambling, inflated inventory, unhappy cust