In an era of economic uncertainty, leaders who consistently drive sustainable growth exhibit two key qualities: boldness and tenacity. According to Nicolas Maechler, senior partner at McKinsey & Company, these leaders “push the envelope and stay the course,” even when faced with short-term market fluctuations.
While many leaders aim for market-beating growth, few spend enough time on long-term initiatives—an imbalance they should address for true success.
What makes a good leader?
Across industries, top-performing leaders share distinct patterns in their approach. These leaders prioritise growth, act decisively, maintain a customer-centric perspective, and rigorously execute their strategies.
“They put their money where their mouth is, shaking up their company’s approach where needed,” said Maechler.
High-performing leaders don’t merely react to market changes—they anticipate them. They also recognise that short-term wins are important but must align with long-term goals. Rather than waiting for the perfect strategy, they embrace a ‘learn-fast’ mentality while committing to their vision over the medium to long term.
The time imbalance in growth strategies
McKinsey’s research highlights the discrepancy between leaders’ stated priorities and their actual behaviours. While 72% of leaders strive for market-leading growth, they dedicate only 22% of their time to long-term initiatives.
“This is all about clarity of vision and purposeful leadership. As soon as a long-term growth plan has been established, the urgent demands of today start getting in the way,” explained Maechler.”
He added that staying focused meant recognising which demands impact the bigger picture and avoiding the distraction of short term gains.
In addition, he warned against the temptation to rely on projects with immediate returns, reminding leaders that “long term growth takes more than one financial year to show. Leaders must be patient and wait for that larger, longer-term uptick.”
Customer centricity as a growth driver
One of the most compelling insights from McKinsey’s research is the potent correlation between customer centricity and revenue growth.
“Companies that place customer experience at the core of their operations achieve twice the revenue growth of those that lag in this area,” revealed Maechler.
Despite this, just 15% of leaders consistently incorporate customer feedback into decision-making, even though 63% cite it as a top source for growth ideas. He added that “the correlation strengthens when companies predict and prioritise serving customers over selling to them. “
By anticipating and meeting customer needs, companies see increased receptivity to their marketing campaigns.
Moreover, Maechler claimed there would be a shift from predicting “the next product to buy” to “the next best experience” based on true customer centricity powered by AI predictions.
Addressing the talent gap
With 69% of leaders acknowledging a significant talent gap, companies must rethink how they attract and develop employees.
“The organisations that are making strides towards bridging the [skills] gap are focusing on culture, first of all, making sure employees are satisfied with their work environment, which helps retention,” explained Maechler
“They look for the skills they need rather than a particular CV readout and know how to balance personality types in their teams – balancing big-picture thinkers with detail-oriented thinkers,” he added.
The future of leadership in the age of AI
As AI and automation continue to shape industries, leadership mindsets must evolve. “The potential of AI and gen AI is widely viewed by executives as an important growth enabler. But only 10% of executives in our survey believe they have sufficient data and insights to back their growth initiatives. “
He predicts that accessing, processing, and using the right data at the right time will be more key to business success, allowing AI models to support business initiatives as effectively as possible.