Do You Have the Right Growth Strategy?

Take the next 5 minutes to find out.

Companies with the wrong growth strategy feel it. Companies with the right

growth strategy know it. 

When strategy is off, CEOs tell us, “We’re working harder than ever, but it doesn’t feel like we’re making the progress we should.” Some tell us, “We have too many priorities.” Others lament that “Decision-making takes forever” and “Every opportunity turns into a debate.” 

But when the strategy is right, we hear a whole different set of conversations: “Everyone knows where we’re going.” “We’re focused on what matters most.” “There’s real momentum in the business.” “We’re winning more often.” 

What Is the Right Growth Strategy?

Your company has a growth strategy, an idea of where you want to go, and how to get there. It’s likely informed by your experiences, customer feedback, suggestions from the team, or insights from others. But how do you know if it’s the right strategy? 

The answer shows up in the numbers but also in how the organization feels. Is leadership confident about where the business is going? Are people aligned? Is decision-making straightforward? Is the company filled with drama—or conviction? 

Many companies haven't been deliberate about finding their right growth strategy. Has yours?

Put Your Strategy to the Test With Our Right Strategy Checklist

We have been helping leaders develop right growth strategies for their companies for more than two decades. Across industries and growth stages, we’ve found that five ingredients are critical to creating the right strategy recipe for leaders and their teams:

• Right Direction: Know where the company is going. 

• Right Focus: Concentrate on the few priorities that matter most. 

• Path to Win: Make sound choices about where and how to compete. 

• Alignment: All pull in the same direction. 

• Execution: Successfully convert the strategy into tangible results. 

To gauge whether your strategy is right for your organization, go through the list below and check the boxes that reflect your experience of the business. As you do, notice where you can respond confidently and where you hesitate, debate, or feel uncertain. 

Right Direction 

☐ We have a clear, shared definition of what success looks like (3–5 years out). 

☐ We have clear growth ambitions, targets, and success metrics. 

☐ We can clearly explain how our strategy will be successful over time. 

Right Focus 

☐ We are disciplined about trade-offs. What we will NOT pursue is as clear

as what we will. 

☐ We focus on a small number of top priorities—and actively say no to others.  

☐ We have prioritized where to compete and which opportunities to pursue. 

Path to Win 

☐ We are confident that we are targeting the right markets and customers. 

☐ We can clearly explain how we win and why customers choose us. 

☐ Our value proposition sets us apart, conveys unique value, and is understood

by our customers and our own team. 

☐ Our strategy leverages and strengthens our core business and expands into new areas, building on key strengths and capabilities. 

Alignment 

☐ Our leadership team is fully aligned on the strategy, priorities, and direction—and fully committed to executing. 

☐ Our markets, offerings, positioning, and execution all reinforce each other. 

☐ Our people understand the strategy and how their work connects to it. 

Execution 

☐ We have clear priorities, owners, and action plans that make execution straightforward. 

☐ The organization understands the strategy, has the support needed to execute it, and invests its resources (capital, talent, time) in line with our strategic priorities. 

☐ We see traction as we build sustainable profitability and value creation, in part because we adjust quickly when assumptions prove wrong.

What Your Right Strategy Checklist Reveals 

This checklist is a diagnostic, not a scorecard. The goal is to understand where your firm’s strategy is building momentum for you and where it’s not. Ask yourself: 

Where were your responses clear? Where did you hesitate, debate, or answer “It depends”? Ambiguity saps focus and momentum. 

What is the cost of the Right Strategy boxes you couldn’t confidently check? Missed opportunities, slower decisions, misalignment, and unfocused execution all carry a price. 

What one improvement could create outsized impact? Sounds like a priority. 

By when do you want to confidently check every Right Strategy box? Deadlines matter.

What is your next move to create greater confidence and momentum? 

Strategies that work intensify energy and accelerate success. In firms where their growth strategy isn’t working, or is missing all together, we usually find friction and fuzziness.

If you’re looking for a roadmap to upgrade your strategy into a serious competitive advantage, watch out for a future post on our upcoming companion Strategy Well-Executed Checklist. 

In the meantime, feel free to download a printable PDF of the Right Strategy Checklist to use with your leadership team and evaluate how right your strategy is for you.