Outgrow Your Peers: How Smart Businesses Measure Growth

Introduction

This article is adapted from my workshop, 10 Rules for Profitable Growth, rule #3: “Outgrow Your Peers.” It focuses on one simple idea: growth is only meaningful when it’s measured in context.

Growth Is Relative. Know the Benchmark.

You say your business is growing. Revenue’s up. Maybe you’ve hired. That’s good news, but here’s the bigger question:

Are you outgrowing your industry, or just keeping pace?

Growth is only meaningful when it’s measured against something external. Otherwise, you might be improving, but not actually advancing. You might be solving new problems, but not outperforming the competition.

That’s why benchmarks matter.

Your industry, your peers, your segment—these are the reference points that tell you whether your growth is strategic or situational.

Without them, you’re flying blind. And even good results can lead you in the wrong direction if you don’t know what great looks like.

Steps to Take

Here are simple next steps that can change the way you lead:

1. Identify the key metrics in your industry—revenue per employee, customer acquisition cost, margins, growth rate, whatever’s most relevant.

2. Compare your current performance to those metrics.

3. Ask: Where are we ahead? Where are we behind?

4. 
   

If this article resonates with you, perhaps we should talk.

Book a Discovery Call and let’s take the guesswork out of your growth.