Do you share the mindset of organizations that know how to survive?

Back in 1994, Gary Hamel in his HBR article, Strategy as a Revolution, stated: “Never has the world been more hospitable to industry revolutionaries and more hostile to industry incumbents.” Almost three decades later, this statement rings true even more. The 33-year average tenure of companies on the S&P 500 in 1964 narrowed to 24 years by 2016 and is forecast to shrink to just 12 years by 2027. It doesn’t take much to think of industry giants that suffered untimely bankruptcies or exist today as a mere shadow of their former selves (Kodak, Blockbuster, PanAm, Borders, Toys “R” Us…).

We studied companies that have enjoyed longevity of more than 50 years to understand what they do differently. Those that experience healthy long lives demonstrate what we call strategic…