Despite what you often see on LinkedIn or hear from agencies and consultants, there is no secret magic trick, tactic, or hack that will instantly create transformational growth for your company. There isn’t some hidden “growth door” that, once opened, will lead to immediate success. Instead, let’s talk about the growth path—a journey that you complete by walking it every day, step by step. Sometimes it will feel like you’re running, other times it might seem like you’re moving backward, but every company must walk this path to achieve growth. This can be a tough pill for some CEOs to swallow, especially when they’re chasing quick results. We once worked with a company whose CEO—let’s call him Ed—was always on the hunt for this elusive growth door. When Ed first became CEO, the company experienced rapid growth and secured investment from a PE firm. But with that investment came increased pressure to continue growing. Ed, feeling the weight of this pressure, constantly searched for the next growth tactic that would drive results. He was always trying to open new “doors” to find growth. They spent millions on paid media. They A/B tested endlessly. They invested in organic search, offered discounts, and cycled through various agencies and consultants. But despite all these efforts, none of the tactics led to sustainable, transformative growth. Even worse, Ed’s approach started to affect his team. Instead of focusing on long-term success, they chased quick fixes and vanity metrics to show short-term gains. These efforts might have delivered some minor wins, but they didn’t lead to the kind of enduring, meaningful growth that Ed was looking for. Sometimes, he’d have something positive to report at a monthly board meeting, but the next few months would bring nothing of substance. Eventually, the PE firm brought us in to help. Ed was a great guy, but he was stuck in a short-term mindset. We worked with him to shift his focus and establish a sustainable growth path. We advised him to stop chasing quick wins and instead concentrate on the fundamentals: the product, the brand, partnerships, and internal alignment. His team needed to focus on doing the right things every day, not on chasing the latest quick fix. Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with these tactics—they can be very effective when done correctly. However, they’re not a magic door that will single-handedly drive growth. Significant gains can happen, but ongoing growth only comes from consistently following the right path. 𝗦𝗼, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵? - Know where you’re going: Establish a growth vision. - Know where you are: Set baselines and targets. - Know what to do: Learn and follow best practices. - Know to stay on the path: Say no to things that aren’t part of the vision. - Know the path: Develop a growth action plan.