Why strategy beats hustle in a volatile market
Australian businesses have always dealt with cycles of growth and contraction, but the past few years have introduced a different kind of operating environment, defined by constant, compounding unpredictability. Whether it’s shifting consumer confidence, the cost-of-living squeeze, the rapid emergence of AI, geopolitical disruption or unprecedented talent shortages, CEOs and leaders are increasingly operating in conditions where the old playbooks feel outdated before they’re even implemented.
Despite market volatility, many organisations still rely on outmoded habits of decision-making: short-term fixes, reactive planning, and a tendency to “just get by.” The problem is that uncertainty doesn’t wait for the right moment to strike and businesses without a clear strategy are the ones most exposed when uncertainty hits.
Over recent years at the 24HR Business Plan, we’ve had access to a unique dataset that sheds light on what separates the businesses that grow, despite market volatility, from those that stall. More than 130 organisations that completed 24HRBP’s structured strategic planning process were surveyed after completing a full financial year of trading post-planning. Their feedback offers a compelling insight into what effective strategy and disciplined execution can deliver in an unpredictable environment.
Of the nearly 50 clients who provided detailed financial data, 82.6% reported revenue growth in the first full financial year after completing their strategic planning work. Their average growth rate was an impressive 31.3% measured against the financial year prior to developing their Business Plan, to their first full year after.
What’s even more interesting is how consistently this uplift appeared across industry categories with Professional Services averaging 44.1% growth; Building and Construction, 42.3%; Tourism and Travel 25.9%; and Financial Services 23.7%.
When all respondents are included, including those who didn’t grow, the average growth rate still reached 23.9%.
And for organisations that treated strategy as a recurring discipline rather than a one-off event, the results were even stronger. Those who conducted an annual strategic review reported an average YOY growth rate of 22%, compounding year after year.
This wasn’t about luck, nor was it about booming market conditions. Many of these industries faced headwinds during the period measured, but the common thread was that leaders carved out the time to think deeply, align their teams and commit to executing a clear growth plan.
The data shows a clear pattern that meaningful business planning pays off, but the clincher is only when paired with disciplined execution.
Given the results, you’d expect business planning to be universally embraced. Yet three in four organisations still shy away from it, often for one of three reasons:
1. “We don’t have the time.”
Ironically, leaders often feel too busy solving short-term problems to prevent the long-term ones. But as the data shows, the businesses that intentionally step back from day-to-day pressures gain clarity that helps them make better decisions when it counts.
2. “Strategy feels too theoretical.”
Traditional strategy can be overly academic, full of frameworks and slides that don’t translate to real-world action. When planning is practical, actionable and aligned with the organisation’s actual rhythm, its value becomes immediately tangible.
3. “We tried it once, but nothing changed.”
A strategy that isn’t executed is just a document. The organisations that saw the strongest results embraced the discipline of implementing their plans, monitoring progress and adjusting as conditions evolved.
The insight is simple: business planning fails when it becomes an event but succeeds when it becomes a habit.
If there’s a single reason strategic planning fuels growth, it’s because clarity cuts through chaos.
In unpredictable markets, indecision becomes costly. Without a shared direction, teams pull in different directions, resources are misallocated, and leaders default to short-term thinking. But when an organisation has a clear business strategy that is understood and owned by the whole leadership team, the magic happens, and leaders stop debating the basics and start executing agreed priorities, creating conditions for growth through focused, coordinated action
In times of market uncertainty, confidence becomes a competitive advantage. A robust strategy gives leaders the confidence to make bold decisions, and that confidence filters through the organisation.
The key insight from the 130-plus businesses surveyed isn’t that planning works, that’s a given, it’s that leaders who commit to structured thinking and disciplined execution outperform their competitors, no matter the market conditions.
This aligns with what we see globally that high-growth companies aren’t the ones with the most resources or the least challenges; they’re the ones with the clearest focus and strongest operational discipline.
The good news? These are behaviours every business can adopt. Strategic clarity isn’t a matter of size, sector or budget; it’s a choice.
Strategic planning doesn’t need to be lengthy, academic or cumbersome. In fact, the more focused and time-bound it is, the more effective it is. But it does need to be prioritised and revisited regularly.
If your business hasn’t revisited its strategy in the past year, or if your current plan feels disconnected from today’s reality, it’s time to make space for change. The data shows that even one concentrated planning cycle can shift organisational momentum, and annual reviews compound that impact.
The unpredictable market conditions are not expected to change any time soon; the pace of technological change will continue to accelerate and the margin for reactive decision-making is shrinking. Those organisations that use strategic discipline as a springboard for growth will withstand the uncertainty.
Because in a volatile business world, clarity is power, and strategy is how leaders create it.
This article fist appeared in AdNews.
