In our Q4 2025 study of 118 B2B CEOs, we found the fear and uncertainty of 2025 has shifted to cautious optimism for 2026. Our B2B CEO Growth Sentiment Index reached its highest point of the year, with pipeline quality, deal volume, deal size, and renewal rates all improving. Nearly half of CEOs report demand is ticking up. Yet optimism doesn't mean confidence. CEOs agree the road ahead is not a straightaway of easy growth. We're entering a period of complex turns shaped by geopolitical shifts and macroeconomic pressure. In this environment, growth at all costs is no longer the goal. Most CEOs are pursuing profitable growth: protecting the base and optimizing efficiency to do more with the same, or fewer resources. But top-performers see these turns differently. Revenue Outperformers view volatility not as a risk to manage, but as the only place to pass. Like a winning driver who brakes later and drives deeper into corners to maximize exit speed, they're making the bolder decision to fuel growth while others decelerate.
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