Many leaders believe they’ve adopted and implemented productive mindsets for growth. Yet, there’s a disconnect between these ambitions and actual actions, say Senior Partner Andy West and coauthors. Across five growth actions, most leaders are not showing the behaviors needed to spur growth, according to a McKinsey survey. To outperform, leaders need to prioritize growth, act boldly, maintain a customer-centric approach, attract and nurture talent, and execute with rigor.
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A set of 5 squares composed of gray and blue dots show the results of a survey assessing the growth actions taken by business leaders. Each square contains 100 dots, with blue dots representing the percentage of respondents indicating they had taken a particular growth action. The first square shows that 29% of leaders dedicate 30% or more of their time to long-term growth initiatives. The second square indicates that 30% of leaders increase resourcing for growth initiatives in various business areas during volatile periods. In the third square, 15% of leaders consistently incorporate customer input into business decisions. The fourth square indicates that 8% of leaders express high confidence in their organizations’ talent planning. The fifth square shows that 10% of leaders feel strongly that they possess sufficient data and insights to support growth decisions.
Note: This image description was completed with the assistance of Writer, a generative AI tool.
Source: McKinsey Growth Leaders Mindset Survey, June 7–July 18, 2024 (n = 500).
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To read the article, see “Achieving growth: Putting leadership mindsets and behaviors into action,” January 13, 2025.