Top line growth no longer the top issue for CEOs

While it didn’t slip out of first place by much (a few percentage points), top line growth is no longer the top concern of global CEOs.  What has replaced it?  Execution Excellence.  In my view this is just a maturing of understanding the issue and says that CEOs have a better understanding of what specific actions will actually drive top line growth.  It also says that CEOs seem to think that their strategies and overall direction are sound and that getting their company all marching in the same direction to actually do what the strategy says to do.
I also think that this is what’s driving the interest in BI solutions both by companies and software vendors (ref the SAP acquisition of Business Objects).  BI promises to expose what’s going on in the company (or at least the companies enterprise IT systems) and expose where there are execution gaps.  I think this may also be good for PLM as an enterprise IT category since getting product operations in order is one of the key benefits it can deliver, specifically in the area of factory layout and operations.  Not quite as exciting as the top line growth ($) and innovation (build cool stuff with cool people) talk that has been top of the list for the past few years, but this maturing was inevitable.
Excellence of Execution is Top Concern for CEOs Worldwide According to New Study The Man

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