Rev up your growth engine: Lessons from through-cycle outperformers

Previous economic crises have shown us that companies’ paths to recovery are shaped by their industries, regions, and individual corporate characteristics—but also very much by the actions they take before, during, and after the crisis. Recent McKinsey research found that the outperforming companies during and after the financial crisis entered it ahead of competitors, and came out of it stronger than before. Our analysis of the performance and growth strategies of approximately 2,000 companies between 2007 and 2017 reinforces those conclusions: staying focused on through-cycle growth is critical for long-term survival and the ability to generate excess total returns to shareholders (TRS). That means you need to plan ahead for the next stage of this crisis and for the post-pandemic era even as you navigate the current economic shocks.