The Global State of Strategy Execution report examines how more than 200 organizations in 30 countries turn strategy into results. Each company was scored out of 100 across five dimensions: Align, Execute, Improve, Scale, and Empower, which, combined, gave their Global Strategy Execution Maturity Index™ (GSEMI).
- Only 11% of organizations reach Strategy Execution Leader maturity (GSEMI ≥ 85). They are not concentrated in any one region, industry, or size band, they appear everywhere yet do things differently from others.
- Strategy Execution Leaders outperform peers by +20 to +30 points across all dimensions, with the largest deltas in cadence (+27.3), learning loops (+28.5), and scaling practices (+30.5).
- Regular weekly or biweekly review cadences are a defining differentiator: 2.1× more likely among Leaders, directly linked to higher execution scores.
- Many organizations know the right execution as complexity rises. practices but lack consistency— deficits in cadence, ownership, and structured learning elevate execution risk.
- When embedded in operating rhythms, OKRs add 15+ maturity points on average; applied in isolation, impact is limited.
- Higher Strategy Execution Maturity correlates with superior business performance; for Strategy Execution Leaders, the odds of outgrowing the industry rise to 83% (1.5×) and of exceeding goals with strong growth to 57% (1.6×).
- Align is the strongest dimension globally (75.4); Scale (58.1) and Improve (60.6) are the weakest, indicating difficulty replicating and adapting practices enterprise-wide.
- Larger organizations score roughly +15 points vs. smaller firms, reflecting institutionalization of execution as complexity rises.
- OKRs are adopted by 40% of companies globally; 47% among Leaders.
Conclusion
While 70% of strategies fail in implementation, a select few organizations consistently turn vision into victory. Their secret? The right execution system.