Summary of Every Business Is a Growth Business

Ram Charan and Noel M. Tichy

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Every Business Is a Growth Business book summary

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Ram Charan and Noel M. Tichy make the case that no company, even a very large corporation, should think of itself as a mature company or as part of a mature industry. If you look at the market broadly and understand your customers’ perspectives, you will always find room for growth. Look at your customers’ changing needs and think of ways that your company can expand beyond its current market. Then, pursue that approach throughout your company. The basic message may sound familiar, but the authors bring a strong how-to approach to their strategies, which will prove very helpful to executives and company owners. getAbstract appreciates the utility of the combination of advice, workbook pages, examples, graphs and charts.

About the Authors

Consultants Ram Charan and Noel M. Tichy worked with dozens of business leaders and CEOs to write this book. Tichy ran GE’s leadership-development institute, Crotonville, in the mid-1980s, and wrote The Leadership Engine. Charan taught at the institute for 25 years.

Summary

Developing a Growth Orientation

General Electric’s Jack Welch, Citicorp’s John Reed and Ford’s Jacques Nasser are respected business leaders in dissimilar fields, but they agree on four basic principles:

Every business can grow. There is no such thing as a business that has gotten as big, or as mature, as possible.
Don’t just focus on growth. Focus on growth that is "profitable, sustainable and capital efficient."
Foster a growth-oriented corporate frame of mind.
A "mindset for growth" can permeate a company only if it begins in the CEO’s office.

For your firm to grow, you must develop leaders throughout your organization who are committed to growth. To this end, you need to change the thinking of your workforce. This kind of major shift in the culture of your corporation requires delving into the decision-making process. Managers on every level must demonstrate growth-oriented decision making and leadership styles. When each leader is motivated by growth, the "genetic code" of the company will shift to reflect that priority. Bringing about this weather change among employees requires ...

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