One key to success is getting the right people in the right jobs, a discipline that we call "leadership supply." Companies that practice this discipline find, develop and deploy top talent in key jobs, all of the time. They track their people to ensure that talent is deployed where it can have the most impact. Often, that means leaving people in jobs long enough to make a difference. Lots of companies rotate executives so frequently that they hardly have time enough to learn the job before thinking about the next move.

Top performers also use aligned measures and incentives to keep people pointed toward growth. Typically, the most effective organizations avoid overloading on metrics, taking care instead to measure what matters. A few dozen key metrics will often serve to measure most of the economic value of the business, allowing management to focus clearly on company and individual performance.

Bain helps companies identify their leadership needs and then fill them. We also create dynamic performance-measurement systems that zero in on what really matters to the business-and thus keep leaders on the right track. To focus executives on those critical few metrics, we build dashboards that serve as barometers of ongoing business performance. In addition, we help companies devise tailored compensation systems that will reward actions and behaviors that advance the organization's strategies and goals.

To find out more about Bain's work in this capability area, please contact the practice.