How can companies deliver consistent growth over time?

To deliver consistent growth over time, companies must get off the treadmill, which invariably requires a big mindset shift: Leaders need to focus less on tactics for achieving short-term growth and more on building a fundamental engine of long-term growth.

How hard is it to deliver sustained growth?

Delivering sustained growth is one of the hardest things a company can do. A brilliant idea or product innovation can create a burst of episodic growth, but few companies demonstrate growth year in and year out, especially amid the disruptions and uncertain economy we’ve experienced during the 2020s.

Do companies have a growth system?

Some companies have managed to sustain consistent growth, however. Research from PwC reveals that the highest-performing organizations invest in a growth system, an integrated collection of capabilities and assets that drives both short-term and long-term growth.

Which companies have built effective growth systems?

We describe them below through the lens of successful companies—Toast, IKEA, Vertex, Adobe, and Roblox—that have built effective growth systems. No company we studied has developed all five elements perfectly, but these companies have a keen sense of how to improve their growth system over time. Define a compelling customer outcome.

Do You Want Your Company to grow?

We meet many executives who say they want their companies to grow, but they don’t allocate resources to support that growth over time. You also need the courage to make bold moves, even in a time of economic uncertainty. In previous decades, you could choose not to pursue growth in a temporarily challenging environment.

What percentage of companies grow sustainably over time?

Only 25 percent of companies grow sustainably over time. But if you can achieve it, that growth is rewarded, with sustainable growth outperformers generating seven percentage points more annual total shareholder returns than their peers. Sean Brown: What does it take to be a growth outperformer?