Blog
From constraint to confidence: what’s unlocking growth for UK plc
11 February 2026
Matt Painter’s post rightly set out the structural headwinds facing UK business: economic uncertainty, rising costs, regulation, short-termism and geopolitical volatility.
That picture is real. And it’s the one senior leaders are navigating every day.
But what struck me most at the Britain’s Most Admired Companies 2025 event at the London Stock Exchange was something else entirely: confidence. Not blind optimism, but grounded belief, rooted in clarity, credibility and leadership.
Because alongside realism, business leaders were clear on one thing: these challenges are not insoluble.
Confidence starts with direction
When we analysed more than 130 verbatim responses from C-suite leaders for this year’s study, one message came through again and again: as one leader put it: “The issue for growth isn’t ambition - it’s confidence in the long-term direction.”
That confidence doesn’t come from slogans or short-term wins. It comes from clarity, clarity of strategy, priorities and purpose.
Opening the event, Dame Julia Hoggett framed the moment perfectly: “There is no more fitting place to host a conversation about leadership, about value creation, and about long-term prosperity than right here, right now.” She also reminded us why that conversation matters beyond markets alone - because British companies play a far broader role in society: “So many businesses exist to solve society’s problems, to make lives better while also making a profit, creating value, paying taxes and funding things like the NHS.”
Growth, in that context, isn’t abstract. It’s something that is built deliberately, over time.
Growth follows credibility
Across our event, leaders reinforced the same truth: investment follows credibility.
Speaking about transformation at Rolls-Royce, Tufan Erginbilgiç was clear that growth doesn’t come from reverting to the past: “Transformation for me is taking a company from point A to point B. The company has never been in point B.”
And crucially, he linked that directly to growth: “That opens up new opportunities for the company. Therefore, you create the sustainable growth.”
This is where reputation matters. Britain’s Most Admired Companies are not those making the loudest promises, but those consistently delivering, earning trust with those who understand the detail. As Dame Julia put it, that peer recognition is hard won: “It is your analysts and direct peers being asked tough questions about who they admire and why; people who understand quite how hard it is to achieve what the winners have achieved.”
Confidence in the system matters too
Growth isn’t unlocked by companies alone. It depends on confidence in the wider ecosystem.
At the market open ceremony, Dame Susan Langley, Lady Mayor of the City of London, reminded us why celebration itself matters: "I always say, in the UK we are really, really good at saying what we are not good at. We’re a brilliant country to work in and look at all the fantastic companies here today. These are exactly the stories we should be telling and celebrating.”
Admiration signals trust. Trust encourages investment. And investment sustains growth.
As Stephen Moorhouse of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners put it: “That confidence comes from there as well - the confidence to invest in a business, but also in a country.” And importantly, confidence compounds: “You build credibility over time to continue that investment, and then that investment keeps recurring.”
Leadership, alignment and culture are driving growth today
If confidence is the fuel for growth, leadership is the engine.
Across the CEO panel, one theme dominated: alignment around strategy, purpose and execution, especially in uncertain conditions.
At Nationwide, Dame Debbie Crosbie anchored leadership firmly in trust: “People need to feel trust and confidence that they’ll get great, consistent products and services.”
At Octopus Energy, Greg Jackson CBE emphasised the role of shared direction: “A shared strategy is critical for high performance, for attracting talent, and for being positive to customers.” And his optimism was unmistakable: “Size should make us better, not worse.”
This isn’t abstract leadership theory. It was practical, grounded and deeply human, focused on clarity, empowerment and delivery.
Reputation as a signal of readiness
After 36 years, Britain’s Most Admired Companies continues to offer a rare vantage point: the ability to see how reputations are built over time and what sits behind them.
Reputation isn’t created in headlines or campaigns. It is earned quietly, in the detail through delivery, consistency and leadership that shows up when conditions are tough.
In today’s environment, a positively strong reputation is more than recognition. It’s a signal of resilience, credibility and readiness for long-term growth.
From cautious optimism to confident action
The constraints facing UK plc are real. But they are not destiny.
What we heard consistently is that growth is unlocked when organisations and systems:
- provide clarity of direction
- invest with credibility
- lead with purpose and alignment
- and earn trust through consistent delivery
That’s not cause for complacency.
But it is cause for confidence.
And it’s why Britain’s Most Admired Companies remains such a powerful lens on where growth is already being built - quietly, credibly and with conviction.
Read more in the Britain's Most Admired Companies 2025 Summary & Strategic Insights report
