Trending in the C-suite: Why fewer things equal faster results.

A monthly synthesis of pragmatic perspectives on urgent business topics and macrotrends.

In the book The CEO Test: Master the Challenges That Make or Break All Leaders, co-authors Adam Bryant and former Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer praise simplification as a CEO’s “Swiss Army knife.” The CEOs of Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Goldman Sachs, BT Group, and Ace Hardware echoed this view in recent conversations with World 50 members. 

Here are several insights into simplifying strategy, operations, and culture to help navigate the future.

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To move faster, do fewer things.

“Radical simplification is the prerequisite for speed and success,” Allison Kirkby, CEO of BT Group, said to C-suite executives gathered in London. Her first priority as CEO was to sharpen the company’s focus. This included shedding “vanity projects” and narrowing the mission from being the “world’s most trusted connector” to being the “U.K.’s most trusted connector.” By carving out international units and non-core assets, Kirkby achieved simplification—enabling speed, alignment, and ROI in critical U.K. infrastructure, such as fiber.

Speaking to a room of public and private company CEOs, Joaquin Duato, chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, explained why it spun off its consumer division into a new company named Kenvue. “The way you create value in the consumer business is different than in pharmaceuticals or medical technology,” he said. Those latter divisions are R&D intensive, while advertisements drive the consumer division, which carries different cost structures and capabilities. The separation helped Johnson & Johnson become a more focused medical innovation company while enabling the consumer business to thrive independently with proper resources and attention.

Jon Moeller—the chairman, president, and CEO of Procter & Gamble—eliminated entire business categories by focusing on “daily-use categories where product performance drives brand choice.” Even though this initially hurt revenue, Moeller—the company’s former CFO—stayed committed to growing market cap throughout the process by concentrating resources on higher-performing and more profitable segments. The company also reduced organizational size by 27% and eliminated what he referred to as the “thicket,” a dense organizational structure with lots of hiding places and low accountability.Chief information security officers have become a fixture in boardrooms.

Lead culture change with data and engagement.

Before touching strategy or structure, Moeller identified two cultural barriers to Procter & Gamble’s success: prioritizing top-line over bottom-line growth and obsessing over market share rather than market growth. He used data to prove that combining both growth metrics into “operating total shareholder return” showed a 68% correlation with share price, compared to just 11% for top-line growth alone. This insight unlocked an organizational commitment to balanced growth and market expansion rather than share-stealing tactics. “They weren’t willing to listen to my philosophy. So, one of my tips is to lead change with data that makes a difference.”

In a separate conversation, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon recalled how culture needed reinforcement after the pandemic frayed Goldman’s collaborative, apprentice-focused environment. Solomon launched an intensive program, sending all 450 partners through two-day off-site sessions in groups of 25. Solomon personally attended 21 dinners globally in 15 months. “If you really care about the culture of an organization and you want it to be special and differentiated, you have to spend real time,” Solomon advised CEOs.

Know how to compete on your terms.

Ace Hardware, the largest non-grocery retail cooperative in the U.S., has more stores than Home Depot and Lowe’s combined, yet it has a smaller retail footprint. To understand how Ace’s leadership team thinks about competition, members of World 50’s community of CEO succession candidates spoke with Ace Hardware President and CEO John Venhuizen. “If you want an enduring value brand, don’t chase after volume,” he said. For example, the retailer closely analyzed its competitor, Home Depot, to understand the drivers of its success, then intentionally took a different path. While Home Depot excels in home renovation, Ace Hardware focuses on home preservation, resulting in a distinctly different inventory strategy. “Let them own what they are great at,” said Venhuizen. His advice: Understand where industry leaders dominate, and then build strength in the white space they leave behind.

What World 50 members think about the Israel-Iran conflict, tariffs, and AI.

While 73% of respondents from a recent World 50 Pulse Survey are experiencing some increase in business risk from U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, the majority (43%) believe the conflict signals only a “moderate” increase in risk. This suggests measured concern rather than panic. Surprisingly, 53% of respondents consider AI strategy either “not at all important” to offsetting new costs related to tariffs (31%) or only “slightly important” (22%) for offsetting tariff-related costs. Review the findings here.

Upcoming World 50 Gatherings

A sampling of all-member and group-only gatherings.

Tariffs and Trade Update - With Drew DeLong, Global Lead of Geopolitical Dynamics and Senior Policy Advisor, Kearney

Governance, Growth, and Guardrails for ERGs - With Josetta Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Chevron; and Marcel Onuoha, Senior Advisor to the CDIO and Employee Network Manager, Chevron

How to Measure ROI on AI - With Jim Swanson, EVP and Chief Information Officer, Johnson & Johnson

Conversations With the Board - With Jack Lazar, Former CFO, GoPro

Membership in World 50 is by invitation only. Inquire about eligibility on our website or email us directly at stayahead@world50.com.