A Growth Leader

A survey of 165 C-suite executives and senior vice presidents with growth responsibilities and conducting in-depth interviews with 20 executives conducted by McKinsey Company, the result shows that growth leaders have seven specific beliefs and behaviors:

  1. I am all in:
    • Always put growth first
    • Keep raising the bar
    • Unite the business around growth
  2. I am willing to fail:
    • Make plenty of bets
    • Back the risk takers
  3. I know my customer as a person not as a data point
    • Take the customer’s side
    • Make it personal
  4. I favor action over perfection
    • Put yourself on the line
    • Act on “good enough” insights
    • Face the facts
  5. I fought for growth
    • Avoid short-termism
    • Break down internal barriers
  6. I have a growth story I tell all the time
    • Infuse the business with purpose
    • Communicate, communicate, communicate
  7. I give control to others
    • Build up people’s growth muscles
    • Give power to the front line
    • Go outside to get what’s needed

Growth is a journey that requires the entire business to constantly adjust, optimize, and execute, but it starts at the top. Only when the CEO, C-suite, and business-unit leaders have the right mind-set can leaders hope to drive growth across the business.

Reference: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/are-you-a-growth-leader-the-seven-beliefs-and-behaviors-that-growth-leaders-share

Dr. Maria Grace Herlina, S.Sos., MM