In February 2026, a new study published by Harvard Business Review and Egon Zehnder examined a question that has puzzled executives for decades: why do some companies sustain rapid growth while others stall—even when they operate in the same industry?
The study, titled “Why Some Companies Grow Rapidly While Others Stall,” surveyed more than 500 global revenue leaders. Its conclusion was striking. Only 29% of companies achieve “rapid growth,” defined as more than 10% annual revenue expansion. And the difference, the researchers found, had little to do with market conditions or luck.
Instead, sustained growth came down to three internal leadership factors: the CEO–revenue leader partnership, structural alignment across the organization, and resilient, customer-focused leadership talent.
These ideas may sound abstract. But when applied to a real Philippine company, the framework becomes clearer. One company that mirrors these principles is DigiPlus Interactive (PSE: PLUS), which was named the #1 Growth Champion in the Philippines for 2026 by Statista after navigating one of the most volatile regulatory environments in its industry.
Together, the HBR framework and DigiPlus’ experience offer a useful lesson: rapid growth is not accidental—it is architected by leadership choices.
Pillar 1: The CEO–Revenue Leader Partnership
The HBR study found that in high-growth firms, revenue leaders—such as the Chief Revenue Officer or Chief Marketing Officer—are not simply executing instructions from the CEO.
Instead, they operate as strategic thought partners.
Companies that foster this partnership are 33% more likely to achieve rapid growth.
The reasoning is simple. Growth decisions—pricing, product strategy, customer acquisition, and market positioning—sit at the intersection of leadership and revenue generation. When these functions operate separately, companies lose speed.
The leadership structure at DigiPlus reflects this principle.
The company demonstrates a founder–professional partnership between chairman Eusebio Tanco and CEO Tommy Hu. Rather than simply reacting to regulatory changes, DigiPlus positioned itself as a strategic participant in shaping the new industry framework.
When the Philippine government introduced a new national regulatory structure for online gaming in late 2025, many operators treated regulation as a threat.
DigiPlus took the opposite approach.
The leadership team actively participated in developing industry standards through the Playsafe Alliance, helping shape compliance guidelines that banks and financial institutions could trust.
What could have been a growth constraint became a competitive moat.
In a sector where regulatory credibility determines access to payment systems and partnerships, DigiPlus’ proactive engagement strengthened its reputation as one of the safest platforms in the industry.
Pillar 2: Structural Alignment — The Anti-Silo Rule
The second insight from the HBR study focuses on organizational design.
Growth stalls when departments operate with conflicting incentives. Sales teams chase volume, product teams pursue innovation, and marketing focuses on branding—often with little coordination.
The study calls this the “silo problem.”
Companies that unify leadership and KPIs across departments achieve rapid growth 39% of the time—almost double the rate of siloed organizations.
DigiPlus addressed this challenge through an omnichannel strategy.
Many gaming companies operate purely as digital platforms. But DigiPlus recognized that online gaming, hospitality, and entertainment could reinforce each other.
In 2025–2026, the company announced plans for a ₱12 billion investment to acquire a majority stake in International Entertainment Corp, the operator of New Coast Hotel Manila.
The move reflects a broader strategy: linking the company’s digital gaming ecosystem—BingoPlus and ArenaPlus—with physical hospitality assets.
Under this model, digital and physical operations share unified metrics.
Online users can become hotel visitors or casino customers. Meanwhile, physical venues act as acquisition funnels for digital platforms.
If one channel experiences temporary disruption—such as regulatory tightening—the other channel supports continued revenue growth.
This structural alignment prevents the company from experiencing the sudden “growth stall” that many single-channel platforms face.
Pillar 3: Human-Centric, Resilient Leadership
The third pillar identified by the HBR study centers on leadership behavior.
Technical expertise alone does not create growth. Instead, successful leaders exhibit what the researchers call “spiky talent”—distinct traits that allow organizations to adapt under pressure.
Three characteristics stood out:
- Resilience — the ability to recover quickly from shocks
- Adaptability — adjusting strategies as consumer behavior evolves
- Customer impact — a deep focus on user experience and demand
DigiPlus faced a real test of these capabilities in Q3 2025.
During that period, regulators temporarily required e-wallet platforms to delink from online gaming operators, disrupting payment flows across the industry.
For many competitors, this led to stalled growth.
DigiPlus responded differently.
Rather than waiting for external solutions, the company accelerated the development of localized, in-house games, including Ball Race Philippines and In Between Supreme.
These titles were designed specifically for Filipino players, emphasizing culturally familiar themes and gameplay mechanics.
The strategy proved effective.
By the end of 2025, DigiPlus reported a 52% quarter-on-quarter increase in EBITDA, demonstrating that customer-focused innovation could offset regulatory shocks.
From Functional Managers to Growth Architects
The lesson from the HBR study—and from DigiPlus’ experience—is that growth rarely depends on market conditions alone.
Instead, it depends on leadership design.
| HBR Growth Pillar | DigiPlus Execution | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Partnership | Collaboration with regulators | High trust within financial ecosystem |
| Structural Alignment | Integration of digital apps and physical hospitality assets | Diversified revenue streams |
| Spiky Talent | Localized game development and rapid adaptation | Strong post-shock recovery |
DigiPlus did not grow because the gaming market was easy.
It grew because its leadership shifted from being functional managers—running a single product—to becoming growth architects, designing a multi-channel ecosystem that could adapt to shocks, regulations, and changing consumer behavior.
For Philippine CEOs navigating volatile markets, that may be the most important lesson of all.
