2026 State of Strategy Execution Research

Section 1 - Where Your Organization Stands

A few questions about your organization's relationship with strategy execution right now.

Question Title

* Thinking of the Strategy-Execution Gap, which describes your organization right now?
Read all three. Select the one that matches your organization most closely — not the one you aspire to.

Deep in the Gap — The organization runs operations well, but strategic initiatives depend on heroes — talented individuals who carry what the system should carry. When the hero moves on, the capability goes with them. The same crisis reappears with different faces attached to it.

Feeling the Gap — The gap is visible, painful, and persistent — despite genuine investment, capable people, and real delivery improvement. Leadership can name the gap, has invested in closing it, and cannot explain why the investment has not closed it.

Execution at Scale — The gap is closed. Strategy executes reliably as an organizational capability rather than an individual achievement. The disciplines sustain themselves. Leadership transitions do not reset the system.

Question Title

* How long would you say your organization has been in this condition?
Your best estimate is fine.

Under 1 year

1 to 3 years

3 to 5 years

More than 5 years

Question Title

* Over the last 12 months, which direction has your organization been moving on closing the Strategy-Execution Gap?
Movement matters even when the overall condition hasn't changed yet.

Worsening

Stable — no real change

Slowly improving

Significantly improved

Question Title

* Over the past 12 months, how reliably has your organization actually delivered on its most important strategic intentions?
Think about what was committed to at the strategic level versus what was genuinely realized — not routine project completion.

Most strategic intentions were realized as intended

Most were realized, but later or more partially than intended

Results were mixed — some realized, many stalled or drifted

Most strategic intentions stalled, drifted, or were quietly abandoned

Strategic intentions rarely translate into delivered results

20% of survey complete.

2026 State of Strategy Execution Research

Section 1 - Where Your Organization Stands

Question Title

* Thinking of the Strategy-Execution Gap, which describes your organization right now? Read all three. Select the one that matches your organization most closely — not the one you aspire to.

Question Title

* How long would you say your organization has been in this condition?Your best estimate is fine.

Question Title

* Over the last 12 months, which direction has your organization been moving on closing the Strategy-Execution Gap?Movement matters even when the overall condition hasn't changed yet.

Question Title

* Over the past 12 months, how reliably has your organization actually delivered on its most important strategic intentions?Think about what was committed to at the strategic level versus what was genuinely realized — not routine project completion.

* Thinking of the Strategy-Execution Gap, which describes your organization right now?
Read all three. Select the one that matches your organization most closely — not the one you aspire to.

* How long would you say your organization has been in this condition?
Your best estimate is fine.

* Over the last 12 months, which direction has your organization been moving on closing the Strategy-Execution Gap?
Movement matters even when the overall condition hasn't changed yet.

* Over the past 12 months, how reliably has your organization actually delivered on its most important strategic intentions?
Think about what was committed to at the strategic level versus what was genuinely realized — not routine project completion.