Your Next Executive Should Arrive With a Growth Plan (Yes, Really)

Think about your last leadership hire. Did they walk in ready to grow your business, or just take a seat behind a shiny title? Too often, the most important question never gets asked: What’s your growth plan?

Why That Question Matters

Harvard Business Review recently suggested boards ask CEO candidates for a growth plan before they’re even hired. It makes sense. You want someone already thinking about your business—your challenges, how they’ll adapt, how they’ll move the needle—before you hand them the keys.

And let’s be honest: hiring mistakes are expensive. In high growth environments, the wrong executive can cost up to 7% of annual revenue or 20 times their total compensation. That’s not just a bad hire. That’s a business risk.

Beyond Growth: What’s Their Vision?

A great leader doesn’t just show up with a growth plan. They show up with a vision. How do they see AI, digital transformation, or shifting markets shaping your future? How do they plan to steer your company through it?

One of the best ways to test this is through finalist presentations. Ask candidates to share their roadmap and how they see innovation impacting your business. You’ll quickly see whether their perspective lines up with where you want to go or if you’re about to make an expensive mistake.

What a Real Growth Plan Looks Like

A true growth plan isn’t buzzwords on a slide. It’s practical. It should answer:

• What does success look like in 6, 12, and 24 months?

• Which big obstacles will they tackle first?

• Which teams, systems, or culture shifts will they prioritize?

• How do they see AI and innovation driving the next phase of the business?

This approach mirrors the Hoops “Leadership Success Profile”: start with outcomes, not titles, and build the role around that clarity.

The Market Is Already Moving

The shift is happening everywhere:

• Accounting firms, once slow to change, are appointing Chief Growth Officers to drive acquisitions and innovation. The number of these roles in midsize firms doubled between 2019 and 2024.

• Executive searches are leaning less on résumés and past titles, and more on future potential, fit, and ambition.

The message is clear: growth oriented leadership with a vision is no longer optional.

Ari’s Take

At Ari Agency, we believe leaders should show up with sleeves rolled up, a clear vision for the future, and a growth plan in hand. Hiring someone just to hold down a title is outdated.

As we like to say: Bring the plan, bring the vision, or don’t bring the suit.