Future Proof
Generating growth
through innovation
About 20% of companies grow organically with their
own resources faster than their competition. Some 27%
are growth laggards and are always behind. So what
makes a growth leader?
T
oday, what distinguishes growth leaders
from growth laggards is ‘innovation
prowess’ – a mix of strategic growth-
seeking discipline and innovation
ability. Growth leaders move ahead
of the laggards and stay ahead. The laggards are
always trying to catch up – and rarely succeed. At
growth leaders such as Samsung, GE, Amex and
LEGO, innovation is carried out in a context of high
uncertainty – the bigger the innovation, the more
uncertain the outcome.
By embracing uncertainty, growth leaders say
they are willing to take risks and put resources
behind them, but are clear they will learn from
their experiments. They don’t feel they have all the
answers, but will try different things. They live by the
mantra: start small, think big, learn quickly, scale fast.
Growth leaders also start from the outside in. They
stand in the shoes of their partners, customers and
competitors and ask questions such as: “Where will
our customers be in 10 years and how can we help
them succeed?” They keep in mind the customers’
experience: satisfying their latent needs and trying
to anticipate them is crucial.
They are great networkers and open to diverse
views. They have strategic foresight, and when they
are presented with a challenge, they start to identify
what’s behind it. They also create a culture that
permits discovery – giving people the time to pursue
their own interests.
alexandermannsolutions.com
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George Day
Professor of Marketing,
Wharton School of
Pennsylvania
wharton.upenn.edu