It’s Time for CEOs to Roll Up Their Sleeves; Data from 300 Global CEOs Paints a Bleak Picture
In today's business whirlwind, crafting an effective strategy is only half the battle. The real test is in the trenches during the execution. In my experience as a CEO, I can see where we're dropping the ball—and it’s costing us big time. In a new growth assessment report, Swedish SaaS company Howwe Technologies drew insights from over 300 CEOs and found a glaring truth: most companies are great at talking strategy but lousy at making it happen. Only 8% outshine their market competitors, and a measly 10% actually pull off their strategic plans on time. What gives?
Let’s cut to the chase: while a whopping 83% of CEOs boast of having a clear strategy, the confidence crumbles to 57% when asked about alignment within the organization. The deeper you dig, the worse it looks—barely half the executives can spot the company's top three priorities, and the frontline employees—a paltry 13% know what’s on the strategic agenda.
This disconnect isn’t just frustrating; it’s wasteful. With over four decades of leading from the front, one timeless truth stands out: your organization is only as strong as your people and employees are itching to contribute (82% want in!).
What happens when your employees are unclear about the 'why' behind their tasks? What about understanding the impact of their efforts, or how these contribute to the company's broader objectives? It’s no shocker—most people aren't just curious; they're eager to see how their individual contributions help the team succeed collectively. Yet they’re kept in the dark about the big picture.
So, the million-dollar question for every leader, whether you're in the C-suite or managing a frontline team: How can you ensure your staff not only understands the organization’s main ambitions but also the smaller, everyday goals? More importantly, how can you guide them to spend their valuable time on the right activities? Yes, it’s challenging, but it’s also absolutely essential.
Out of 300 CEOs, only half are happy with how their teams are pushing strategic priorities. CEOs are pretty much in the dark about the nitty-gritty of what's happening on the ground and the study found that only 34% have a clear view of their teams' progress, which means by the time problems become obvious, it’s often too late to course-correct. This points to a serious alignment issue between the big bosses and their right hands. We need more than just nodding along in meetings; we need action, commitment, and a shared game plan.
We see a clear transformation happening since nearly all CEOs recognize the need for cross-functional collaboration. Yet we have such a misalignment and only 10% of strategies cross the finish line as planned. It’s like agreeing that diet and exercise are key to fitness, but never setting foot in the gym or passing up the donuts.
So, what’s the game plan? We need to tool up. But we’re dangerously close to app fatigue with administrative applications like Asana and Monday.com that may help you and your team stay organized, but it’s a great time commitment to enter and update all that manual data. We need to combine business intelligence with AI in systems that not only spell out strategic goals but make them visible and actionable for everyone—from the executive suite to the cubicle. These tools should drive the process forward, offer real-time feedback on our performance to keep everyone in the loop and pivot swiftly when needed, and most importantly predict so you can stay three steps ahead.
Success in strategy execution relies little on technology and features; it's about minimizing organizational resistance. Imagine a company with 3,000, or even 10,000 employees, with 8 or 14 levels between the CEO (strategy) and the frontline employee (execution, or daily activity improvements). How can you get all managers and employees to learn these applications and their various functions? How can you accelerate and predict within these types of applications? These tools are simply not designed to help the CEO drive focus and execution. Should the CEO be an expert in a workflow or project tool like the frontline employee?
The Howwe Growth Assessment™ Insights study involving 300 CEOs reveals that the biggest challenge for CEOs is achieving alignment and bringing the organization on board. This requires an application designed for this purpose, one that answers the employee's "what’s in it for me." An employee, 8 or 14 levels down from the CEO, won’t use an application just because the CEO (or CFO, COO, CRO, or any other executive) says so. They use it because it simplifies their work and helps them in their day-to-day work. Moreover, employees are already occupied with their normal operational tasks and need a proactive application they can engage with for a few minutes per week, yet feel supported and aided in their roles.
In essence, the secret sauce to strategy isn’t just having one—it’s making sure it’s implemented, and alive and kicking at every level of your organization. As leaders, it’s on us to ensure our vision isn’t just a slide in a presentation or speech at the annual town hall, but a daily reality for our teams. We need to foster a culture centered around transparency, accountability, and collective effort. This is crucial for driving change and only then can we transform our lofty strategic visions into ground-level victories. This call to action isn’t just for the boardroom; it’s for every leader who’s serious about not just surviving but thriving in the chaos of today’s markets. Let’s stop being strategists and start being strategizers—those who make strategy a daily, dynamic force in their organizations. Let’s get real about strategy, because the truth is, without execution, it’s just another word.
Data was collected by Howwe Technologies for the Howwe Growth Assessment™ with responses from over 300 CEOs and functional managers from global companies. Access the study here.
About Ulf Arnetz
With decades of experience in global business and SaaS, Ulf Arnetz is a serial entrepreneur. He has founded several companies and grown them into multi-million enterprises in different countries and regions. Ulf has successfully completed three strategic exits to NASDAQ-listed companies in the USA, his last company Corechange was sold to NASDAQ-listed OpenText.
Ulf’s passion for the SaaS industry is channeled into positions as founder, investor, board member, and most importantly, mentor. His knowledge and leadership has been sought after, resulting in board positions at DICE (NASDAQ and nowadays US NASDAQ EA), Cambridge Technology Group (CTP - NASDAQ), Panopticon AB, IOS Group AB, MSAB and Ciceron Group (Advisory Board).
Additionally, Ulf’s accolades include authoring 3 books, winning the prestigious Swedish Entrepreneur of the Year in 1994, the Deloitte’s Global Fast-500 award, along with publishing over twenty thought leadership articles.
Today, Ulf serves as the founder and chairman of Howwe Technologies – a unique solution for executives to bridge the gap between strategy and execution – and founder of Reforce New Ventures (RFNV).
Howwe Technologies AB (publ) stands at the forefront of SaaS innovation as the creators of Howwe, the Solution for Growth. With our method and software, we simplify the execution of strategy. Empowering businesses globally, we're committed to redefining strategy execution and driving sustainable financial growth.
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