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Unlocking Executive Impact

By identifying and leveraging value levers—the critical roles and decisions that disproportionately impact business success – companies can optimize leadership effectiveness and accelerate growth.

Every leadership position should contribute to business value. A deep understanding of your value levers is paramount, as it forms the foundation for role design and target candidate profiling, two core ingredients of executive recruitment. Organizations that take a strategic, value-driven approach to executive selection gain a competitive edge by aligning talent with the initiatives that drive the most significant outcomes.

What Are Value Levers?

McKinsey’s research suggests that only about 5-10% of employees are Value Creators, while the remaining 90-95% are Value Enablers.

Only about 20-30% of executives in leadership teams are true Value Creators, while the remaining 70-80% are spread across the entire business.

Value levers are the key strategic elements within a business that drive outsized impact. In the context of leadership selection, this means identifying the roles that will create the most value, either through direct financial returns, operational efficiencies, innovation, or organizational culture transformation.

Rather than assuming that the most senior roles always yield the most impact, companies must take a role-based approach to talent strategy. This involves assessing which leadership positions truly drive business priorities and where the most capable individuals can create measurable results.

Value-Creating Roles

These are positions directly responsible for revenue generation, cost optimization, or major strategic initiatives. Examples include a Chief Growth Officer leading market expansion, a Head of Product driving new innovations, or a regional General Manager tasked with scaling operations.
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Value-Enabling Roles

These roles create the conditions for value creation by ensuring organizational effectiveness. This could include a Chief Technology Officer overseeing digital transformation, a Head of Talent Development fostering leadership pipelines, or a Chief Risk Officer protecting the company from regulatory pitfalls.
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The Business Impact of a Value-Lever Approach​

Boston Consulting Group notes that transformations where leaders are unified on rationale and goals are 77% more likely to be successful, underscoring the significance of leadership cohesion in achieving strategic objectives.

Aligning executive selection with value levers leads to better business outcomes, including:

  • Accelerated growth and execution: Leaders placed in critical value-driving roles enable businesses to execute strategic priorities faster and more effectively.
  • Improved financial performance: When organizations focus hiring efforts on roles that have the highest return on investment, they maximize shareholder value and profitability.
  • Stronger organizational resilience: A clear understanding of value levers helps companies adapt to change, ensuring key leadership positions are filled with the right talent to navigate industry disruptions.
  • Optimized resource allocation: By identifying and prioritizing high-impact roles, businesses can focus hiring investments where they matter most, reducing wasted resources on less strategic hires.

Case studies of high-performing companies reveal that those who systematically identify and act upon their most critical talent levers outperform competitors in both financial results and long-term sustainability.

Value-Lever Approach as the basis for Executive Selection​

A value-lever approach to executive selection transforms leadership hiring from a reactive, resume-driven process into a deliberate, strategic function that directly impacts business success. By identifying and prioritizing the roles that have the highest potential for value creation, organizations can ensure they place the right leaders in the right roles at the right time. For business leaders looking to optimize their leadership teams, the key takeaway is clear: focus your hiring efforts on the positions that truly move the needle. Aligning leadership decisions with value levers is one of the most powerful ways to drive sustainable growth, resilience, and competitive advantage in today’s dynamic business landscape.
1. Define the Business’s Value Agenda
Before identifying critical roles, leaders must have clarity on the organization’s long-term value creation strategy. This includes defining key growth areas, strategic initiatives, and transformation goals. Ask:
  • What are the biggest drivers of financial and operational success over the next 3–5 years?
  • Which business functions will be most instrumental in delivering that success?
2. Identify the High-Impact Roles
Once the strategic priorities are clear, the next step is determining which roles are most critical in executing that strategy. This is not limited to traditional C-suite roles, many value-driving positions exist at various levels of the organization. Leaders should map out where leadership talent will have the greatest influence on success, ensuring that both direct impact and indirect impact are considered.
3. Quantify the Impact of Each Role
Not all leadership positions contribute equally to business success. Companies should assess the potential financial and strategic impact of each critical role by:
  • Estimating how much revenue, cost savings, or efficiency the role can drive.
  • Evaluating risk exposure if the role is not filled effectively.
  • Aligning each role with measurable key performance indicators (KPIs).
4. Define Success Profiles for Each Role
For each high-value position, create a success profile that clearly outlines:
  • The role’s mission and strategic objectives.
  • The key skills, experiences, and competencies required.
  • Performance metrics to assess effectiveness.
This ensures that executive searches and leadership development efforts focus on the right candidate attributes, rather than generic leadership qualities that may not align with business needs.
5. Conduct a Talent Audit and Address Gaps
Assess the current leadership team and pipeline to determine whether existing executives match the defined success profiles. This process may reveal:
  • High-potential internal candidates who can be developed for critical roles.
  • Areas where external hiring is necessary to bring in specialized skills.
  • Roles where leadership restructuring is required to maximize value creation.
6. Execute a Targeted Executive Search Strategy
When recruiting externally, a value-lever approach ensures that hiring efforts are focused on candidates who bring the highest strategic impact. Rather than prioritizing generic “A-players” profiles alone, organizations should seek candidates with a proven track record in driving results aligned with the company’s specific value levers. This might involve looking beyond traditional talent pools or industries to find leaders with transferable expertise in solving the organization’s biggest challenges.
7. Align Leadership Incentives with Value Creation
Once executives are placed in critical roles, performance expectations and incentives should be structured to reinforce value-driven outcomes. Compensation, KPIs, and leadership evaluations should be directly tied to how well an executive advances the company’s strategic priorities.
8. Continuously Reassess and Adapt
As business priorities shift, so do value levers. Companies should revisit their critical leadership roles regularly, at least annually, to ensure alignment with evolving business needs. This dynamic approach ensures that leadership hiring remains an ongoing strategic priority rather than a static HR process.