Jon Lansdown says clubs need to stay true to their philosophy after being promoted to the Premier League.
The Bristol City chairman was speaking to the One Stream in Bristol podcast and was asked about the club's aim of achieving promotion to the Premier League.
Lansdown said that, if the Robins do go up, they need to avoid being sucked into a pattern of overspending.
He said: "It (promotion) is what we all strive to do, so you've just got to make sure that when you get there, you still do it your way and what you believe what is the right way, rather than getting sucked into any traps that clubs can get into.
"You don't want to get into a cycle, you want to stay true."
Pointing to the big spending from the likes of Aston Villa and Fulham over the last couple of years after promotion, Lansdown said that is not the way he would like to go about things if the Robins win promotion.
He said: "You've got to stay true and put yourself in the position that, if you do go up, you can carry on doing what you're doing.
"You can see the teams that went up this year, they've got very different philosophies.
"One has spent a hell of a lot of money and a couple that have continued on the journey they looked like they were on.
"I know which one I'd rather be in that sense because you've got to stay true to it.
"That's not to say it doesn't mean you can recruit someone who's top of your list because suddenly they fall into your bracket, but you're still doing the same things you were to identify them in the first place, you just might be getting first say because you are that team rather than the team that was there before you.
"It's not simple, you can see that from how competitive it is.
"Fulham last year spent loads of money and that would kind of be your fear because there's so much change there and turmoil in that, what does it mean when you do come down?
"They've got great players in their squad but what does it mean for the club over the next few years?
"It's interesting to see the different approaches and I'm not saying there's a right answer but I know what I would like if we're lucky enough to have that."
