Interviews with successful leaders uncovered the following 10 themes:

1. I have a dream

   79% of leaders believe strongly in strategic thinking, 73% conduct strategic planning periodically and 91% believe it is the basis of their competitive advantage.

   This quantum has not changed since our 2006 report and is not expected to change going forward.

2. Winners V Snoozers

   82% of long term successful businesses have a documented plan and robust strategy execution systems. 3% of the rest of the population do the same.

   Effective execution, both operational and strategic, is not just part of the game, it is the game. It requires talent, leadership, discipline, funding and vision. We predict that competition (for revenue and talent) will hit harder and faster, and that over the next five years, one third of the businesses we interviewed will not exist. The survival gene will be the ability to execute.

3. Show me the money

   74% of leaders see Governance as a means to an end (EG better exit value) rather than something of discrete value. More than half of the population have had failed attempts at non-executive governance. 64% of the long term successful strongly believe in and invest in governance.

   There is a real opportunity for leaders to leverage governance in a meaningful daily manner. High performers do it. They need to craft the right model and find the best people to serve their organisation’s interests. We predict an upswing in such services to the privately held sector.

4. Are you being served?

   Over 80% of the general population of leaders don’t get the support they would like from their professional advisors. Half of this number acknowledged that they don’t ask for it.

   There is a real opportunity for professional services firms to engage with leaders and, through a strong relationship, anticipate their advisory needs. We suspect if you asked current advisors they will say they do this already! We predict more cross professional collaboration as advisors try to differentiate and focus on the client rather than on their own technical prowess.

5. Business for Sale

   47% of leaders believe their current leadership teams are not effective and 69% will not be grooming current staff for higher / Director level duties.

   Given 42% of leaders want to exit within 5 years the next 5 years will be a buyer’s market. This will be exacerbated by talent shortages as Gen X and maturing Gen Y’s start to hang out their own shingles.

6. A tale of two economies.

   51% of respondents expect the economy to grow this coming year and 62% will hire more staff. This is not an overwhelming endorsement of the future economy.

   We predict that continuing tight credit, increased pressure from the tax office, talent shortages, new international entrants, greater e-commerce and an acceleration in the emergence of new industries / offerings will make competition more fierce, businesses smaller and goodwill/IP either monstrously valuable or worthless. There will be no middle ground and Australian businesses will have to either grow or specialise. Income annuity streams will be gold and the old fee for service or ROI businesses not as valuable. Owners will forgo the business as a retirement asset for income streams.

Would you like to know more? Contact us on 1300 657 535 or email us