How To Get Back on a Growth Track in 2025

As we approach 2025, global economic challenges persist, with growth projections remaining modest and some even predicting a third consecutive year of mild recession. Across Germany, businesses in core industries are feeling the pressure of high interest rates, waning consumer demand and market volatility. In response, many firms are turning inward, prioritizing operational efficiencies over expansion. Yet, a focus solely on cost-cutting and efficiency poses deeper challenges for business leaders: how to sustain employee motivation and engagement, preserve hard-won progress and lay a solid foundation for a return to or even new versions of growth.

To guide your organization back to a growth track in 2025, here are five essential strategies: 

1. Re-Set Your Narrative With an Updated Story of Value

Challenging times can send out mixed signals – both internally and externally. Now more than ever, organizations need a unifying narrative that resonates deeply with employees and offers customers a clear, differentiated value. Especially in today’s recessionary climate, as we’re currently seeing in Germany, articulating your value in a way that is authentic and optimistic is essential.  

“When top employees and valued customers feel a compelling sense of purpose, engagement rises.”

When top employees and valued customers feel a compelling sense of purpose, engagement rises. Prophet’s new leadership tool, The Story of Value, brings tangible and intangible business assets into a distinctive and inspiring narrative. It crystallizes the unique value the business offers to shareholders, customers and employees. It simplifies a complex business into a compelling statement of value, creating a common language that inspires executives and employees internally while resonating with the market externally. 

2. Unlock the Moves that Propel Impact 

Now is the time for pragmatic innovation. In any business, there are actionable moves that can drive significant, measurable impact – whether by challenging a competitor or seizing a gap in the market. Identify actionable strategies based on customer needs and market opportunities that can be measured, optimized and scaled. Here are some examples of growth-oriented moves:  

• Vision: Formulate a clear and reachable north star that every team member can rally around. Articulate the positive impact for individuals, the organization and society.  
• Portfolio: Optimize your product portfolio for efficiencies.  
• Marketing: Tap into new segments or double-down on loyalty with your most profitable audiences. 
• Distribution: Test new routes to market, like direct-to-consumer models.  
• Operations: Streamline processes and refine operational models.  
• Talent: Foster mentorship between experienced employees and new hires in key areas like generative AI. Mentors provide guidance, while mentees bring fresh perspectives, benefiting both parties and building motivation through shared growth. 

3. Nurture Your Leadership and Team Collaboration  

Leadership teams, much like individuals, are dynamic ecosystems that require constant nurturing. Our proven method surfaces hidden challenges and fears, enabling leaders to address these openly and build a strong foundation of trust. This trust is essential for cultivating a high-performing leadership team unified by shared goals. 

Our annual Catalysts research shows that successful transformations hinge on genuine collaboration, where enterprise and individual goals are seamlessly integrated. High-functioning teams that shift from a siloed mindset to a team-oriented approach foster mutual accountability and alignment while also benefiting customers and the bottom line. 

The basis for this work is Prophet’s Human-Centered Transformation Model (HCTM), a comprehensive, people-centered approach designed to fuel growth across the organization. It’s built on the premise that organizations, like people, consist of interconnected elements: DNA, mind, body and soul. 

For leadership teams to thrive, they should follow a similar model where trust, collaboration and a shared sense of purpose are cultivated to drive meaningful outcomes.  The Human-Centered Leadership Team Effectiveness Model emphasizes that addressing all dimensions of the human system is crucial to unlocking potential and achieving impactful, sustained outcomes. 

4. Invest in Your Brand – Inside and Out 

In challenging economies, the power of a strong brand becomes ever more evident, underscoring the critical need to invest in it for continued growth. Yet, this imperative often isn’t fully recognized across the executive team. Without broad leadership commitment to brand investment as a strategic priority, efforts to secure and sustain resources can encounter resistance, limiting the brand’s potential impact on overall business outcomes. Market experience and research consistently show that established brands tend to grow market share in down economies, as customers seek reliability and stability. For instance, brands that increased their share of voice during the 2008 recession grew market share 4.5 times faster than those that did not. Investing in your brand drives business value through three key lenses: 

• Revenue and margin: A strong brand enhances customer choice, loyalty and price premium.  
• Valuation: Brand equity bolsters enterprise value and shareholder return. 
• Talent attraction: A reputable brand strengthens the talent pipeline and reduces talent acquisition costs. 

5. Implement an Agile Change Management Strategy  

Returning to growth demands a robust, people-centered change management strategy that addresses both the cognitive and emotional dimensions of the team. Leaders need to be equipped to guide teams through the complexities of change, dealing with underlying thoughts and feelings to build trust, resilience and alignment.   

To be effective, change management requires a holistic approach that considers multiple dimensions. Define clear actions within each area to maintain a comprehensive focus, rather than concentrating on just one or two aspects. Navigating transformation is complex and demands a balanced strategy that meets organizational needs while empowering the people driving them. Skillful coordination is essential. Bringing in an experienced partner like Prophet, who excels in orchestrating comprehensive change initiatives can be invaluable in helping your organization thrive in today’s challenging business environment.