Only 29% of Companies Grow Fast. The Difference Isn't Budget—It's Leadership.

Every company says it wants to grow. Few do. Egon Zehnder surveyed more than 500 senior revenue leaders across public, private, and family-owned firms. Only 29% were posting rapid growth—top-line gains above 10% (Harvard Business Review, 2026).

The surprise was what set those companies apart. Not their industry. Not their budget. Their leadership. Growth accelerated where leaders were aligned on the goal, empowered to act, and built to collaborate across functions instead of guarding turf.

If you run a brokerage, a team, or a one-person shop, the lesson travels. Stalls usually aren't a market problem—they're an alignment problem. Get the people steering the business pointed the same direction before you spend another dollar chasing scale.

Originally published by Pree Rao and colleagues at Harvard Business Review. Read the full piece here: https://hbr.org/2026/02/why-some-companies-grow-rapidly-while-others-stall