What Does It Take to Achieve and Sustain Growth?

Why It Matters

Without disciplined systems and resource commitments to turn customer insight into measurable initiatives, companies risk perpetual underperformance; adopting the five mindsets and cost-like rigor for growth is critical to achieving sustained, profitable expansion.

Summary

McKinsey partners Jill Zucker and Greg Kelly say most executives aspire to growth but fail to convert intent into sustained, profitable results. Their research finds 63% of companies collect customer data but only 15% use it to guide growth, and leaders often lack the resource allocation, tracking systems and executional rigor that cost programs receive. McKinsey identifies five essential growth mindsets—prioritizing growth, acting boldly, customer centricity, attracting talent and executing with rigor—and highlights execution as the biggest gap, requiring measurable funnels, deliberate bets across core, adjacent and breakout opportunities, and tolerance for failure. They note downturns typically erode growth investment, though examples like Corning show conviction and accountability can drive strong revenue gains.

Original Description

McKinsey research has found that while many leaders believe they’ve adopted and implemented productive mindsets for growth, those attitudes and ambitions don’t always translate into the behaviors and actions necessary to achieve their growth objectives. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro speaks with McKinsey Senior Partners Greg Kelly and Jill Zucker about how leading organizations translate growth intent into sustained performance (https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/achieving-growth-putting-leadership-mindsets-and-behaviors-into-action) . In part, it involves making clear bets, allocating resources deliberately, and staying committed through uncertainty.

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

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