I've experienced both sides of the timing equation in business.
When you get the timing right, the results can be extraordinary. When you get it wrong, the cost is painful and what's even harder is having the leadership discipline to admit it and change course.
Research from Harvard Business School amongst other studies analysing start-up success factors found that timing often accounts for around 40% of the difference between success and failure, sometimes outweighing the quality of the idea, the robustness of the plan, or even the calibre of the team.
If that's true, it raises a crucial question: If 40% is timing, what makes up the other 60%?
From our experience working with CEOs, founders and leadership teams across industries, I'd break down the success equation roughly like this:
40% – Timing
30% – People
30% – Plan
Here's what I've learned building and exiting businesses over 20 years: I've never seen a plan good enough to succeed with the wrong people. And I've never seen people good enough to succeed with the wrong plan.
Of course, in the real world, it's rarely that neat. Execution quality, adaptability, and culture all matter tremendously. But if you get the people and the plan right, you have a real chance—no matter when or where you launch.
The relationship between people and plan is symbiotic. Your strategy must account for the personalities executing it, and your team composition should reflect your strategic priorities.
This is where many leadership teams stumble. They develop sophisticated strategies in boardrooms, then wonder why execution falters. Often, it's because the plan doesn't account for how their people actually think, communicate and perform under pressure.
At RSG Consulting, we help leadership teams refine strategy and build high-performing teams by closing the gap between ambition and execution. Our approach starts with understanding the personalities of the people responsible for delivering results.
We use Hogan Assessments - scientifically validated psychometric testing -to help leaders see more clearly:
This data-driven insight helps leadership teams make better decisions about role allocation, team composition, succession planning and strategic priorities.
Over time, we've built a substantial body of data identifying common developmental patterns across industries and leadership levels. Now, we're turning those insights into a unique AI leadership platform designed to help leaders and businesses elevate faster and perform at a higher level.
The honest answer? No leader can fully control market timing.
But with smarter data, sharper insights into your people, and faster adaptation - increasingly powered by AI - we can make the unpredictable a little less dangerous. We can help you understand when your team is ready for a strategic pivot, when key people are under stress, and when execution is likely to falter before it does.
Still, one fundamental truth remains: if the people and the plan are wrong, no amount of AI will save you.
Success starts with understanding the personalities executing your strategy. Get that right and you dramatically improve your odds, regardless of timing.
This is where the future of leadership is heading. And this is the work we're deeply committed to at RSG.