In a recent study of over 1600 CEOs Vistage asked the question,
“What is going to be your biggest priority to advance your business over the next three years?”
The top three results ?
- Innovation in new products or services 35%
- Quality employees 27%
- Strong leadership 21%
Given that the number one issue is innovation, which is highly dependent on people, the results are pretty clear. These CEOs clearly understand that the right people doing the right things and being led by effective leaders is critical to their success.
Other findings of interest to those of us highly engaged in the long-term success of organizations are:
- 37% of the CEOs believe their next CEO will be promoted from within. This clearly shows the need for leadership development and succession planning.
- 71% believe it is difficult to find people with the right skills to drive business growth, showing the need for constant recruiting, people development and training.
Planning for long-term growth and success is all about recruiting, hiring, retaining and engaging the right people in a clearly defined and communicated vision and keeping score along the way.