Written by: Vickie Sullivan | February 04, 2014
Why CEOs Are Optimistic
To paraphrase an old saying, when CEOs are happy then everybody is happy. According to consulting giant PWC (Price Waterhouse Coopers) Annual Global CEO Survey, future-forward growth is job #1.
My favorite findings:
- Cost cutting is still rampant as 61% of U.S. CEOs are planning big cuts. The good news: That figure is significantly lower than the 73% who participated last year. Looks like the worst is over (for now). Translation: Choose your clients wisely. Don’t even try to sell growth strategies to those in cost-cutting mode.
- Thanks to changing technology, 60% of U.S. CEOs worry about new entrants in their markets. This is a huge change from 2013, when only 41% were concerned about crazy competitors. As a result, there’s a race to be “relevant.” Experts who help guard against these upstarts will have the inside track.
- Technology now has a seat at the strategic table, as a whopping 86% of U.S. CEOs believe that advances here will transform their business over the next five years. This is a big word that means a lot of different things, ranging from new business models to meeting new customer expectations. This, too, will change how thought leaders design and deliver value. It’s time to think like a technology company.
Bottom line: Chaos continues to reign as operating and business models are being revamped. CEOs know that they can’t pull off these innovations without talent. There are opportunities ahead for both tech and non-tech experts who are willing to pay attention and overhaul what we do and how we do it. This is gonna be an interesting year…
For all the findings, go here.
For the U.S. CEO report, go here.
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