90% of companies are stuck. Here’s how to move faster.
Right now, 90% of organizations are struggling to adapt to market changes. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a leadership crisis.
The pace of disruption is unrelenting. Technology evolves overnight. Customer expectations shift with every swipe. Competitors aren’t playing by old rules anymore. And yet, most leadership teams are still operating like we have time to spare.
We don’t.
According to Quantive’s 2024 Global State of Strategy Report, only 10% of companies say they can respond effectively and quickly to market changes. The other 90%? They’re stuck in outdated systems, slow decision-making cycles, and rigid strategic plans that collapse the moment the market changes course.
This isn’t a planning problem—it’s a leadership problem. And I’ve seen it before. On a nuclear submarine, if we had waited for perfect information or quarterly reviews, we wouldn’t have made it home.
Adaptability isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.
Let me take you below the surface to show you what elite leadership looks like in an always-on, always-changing environment.
The Enemy of Speed Is Structure Without Agility
On the sub, our strategic objective was always clear, but how we got there had to flex in real time. When sonar picked up an unexpected contact or a system failed mid-mission, we couldn’t call a timeout. We had to adapt instantly—and trust our people to act without waiting for permission.
Business is no different.
According to Quantive’s report:
- 90% of companies say they can’t pivot fast enough.
- Nearly half suffer from poor coordination between departments.
- 74% rely heavily on external resources for strategic direction.
That’s a dangerous level of dependency and a lack of internal readiness.
The truth is, leadership teams have overcomplicated strategy. They’ve turned it into an annual event rather than a daily discipline. The result? Teams that are misaligned, disengaged, and too slow to respond to the threats (and opportunities) right in front of them.
What Elite Leadership Looks Like in a Fast-Moving World
- Make Strategy Simple, Visible, and Living: Your people need to know where you’re going and why it matters—without digging through a 60-slide deck. Strategy should live where the work lives, and be updated as conditions change.
A One Page Purpose Plan™ isn’t just a document. It’s a weapon. Use it.
- Teach People to Decide Without You: The 40–70 Rule I learned in the Navy applies here: if you have 40–70% of the information, make the call. Waiting for 100%? You’re already too late.
Train your team to make informed decisions quickly. Give them the clarity, confidence, and accountability to move.
- Close the Feedback Loop: Quantive’s research found that 83% of leaders believe in learning from execution, but only 59% of companies actually review progress regularly. That’s a massive gap.
Elite teams debrief fast, course-correct openly, and feed those lessons into the next decision. Make this a rhythm—not an afterthought.
- Build Internal Strength: You shouldn’t have to outsource your ability to think strategically. Empower your team to assess, plan, and pivot in real time. You’ll move faster and you’ll trust your people more because they’ll be ready.
What’s at Stake: Execution or Extinction
Here’s what I know: strategy that lives in a binder is dead on arrival.
The future belongs to organizations that treat strategy like a living system, not a static event. Quantive calls it an “Always-On Strategy.” I call it Elite Leadership.
Whatever you name it, one thing is clear: it requires leaders who are willing to let go of outdated models, simplify the mission, and trust their people to lead from every level.
The market is not going to slow down. Your competitors aren’t going to wait for you to get organized.
So here’s the question:
Can your strategy keep up with your reality?
Or better yet—can your leadership?
Let’s go.
—Marc Koehler
Founder, Lead With Purpose
Keynote Speaker | Elite Leadership Expert | Former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer
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Because in 2025, speed alone isn’t enough. You need Fast Attack Leadership.
Sources
https://info.quantive.com/hubfs/Quantive%20Guides/Global-State-of-Strategy-by-Quantive.pdf