The 5 Keys to Corporate Longevity

The quest for immortality is as old as humankind.  From King Gilgamesh in 2100 BCE to Jeff Bezos and Larry Page, the only thing that stops our pursuit of longevity is death.   So why don’t we apply this same verve and vigor to building things that last forever?  Why don’t we invest in corporate longevity?

Consider this—in the last 80 years, human life expectancy increased by almost 30% while corporate life expectancy declined by almost 500%. Other research indicates that the average company’s lifespan on the S&P 500 Index dropped from 60 years in 1960 to just under 15 years in 2024.

We spend billions on products to slow, stop, and even reverse aging. Yet, according to the New York Times, there are just seven keys to living longer.

Could achieving corporate longevity possibly be just as simple?

Yes.

Here are 5 keys to corporate longevity.

1. Take care of yourself today AND invest for tomorrow

We all know what we should do to stay healthy.  But one night, you don’t sleep well, and hearing your 5:00 am alarm is physically painful.  What harm is there in skipping just one workout? At work, you had a bad quarter, so cutting the research project or laying off the innovation team seems necessary.  After all, if you don’t save today, there won’t be a tomorrow, right?

Right.  But skipping workouts becomes a habit that can bring your retirement plans crashing down.   Just like cutting investments in R&D, innovation, and next-gen talent makes keeping up with, adapting, and growing in a rapidly changing world impossible.

2. Build and nurture relationships.  Inside AND outside your company

According to the Harvard Study of Adult Development, strong relationships lead to happier and healthier lives and are the biggest predictor of well-being.  Turns out relationships are also good for business.

Strategic alliances and partnerships directly grow revenue.  For example, 95% of Microsoft’s commercial revenue comes from its partner ecosystem. Starbucks’ collaboration with Nestle allowed the coffee chain to expand its presence in people’s lives while Nestle gained access to a growing category without the cost of building its own brand.  There’s a reason that Andreessen Horowitz declared partnerships a “need to have” in today’s world.

3. Everything in moderation

Toddlers are the only people more distracted by shiny objects than executives.  Total Quality Management.  Yes, please.  Disruptive Innovation.  Absolutely.  Agile.  Thank you, I’ll take two.

Chasing new ideas isn’t wrong. It’s how you chase them that’s dangerous. Uprooting your existing processes and forcing everyone to immediately adopt Agile is the corporate equivalent of a starvation diet. You’ll see immediate improvements, but long-term, you’ll end up worse off.

4. Eliminate bad habits (and bad people)

“The culture of any organization is shaped by the worse behavior the leader is willing to tolerate.”

Read that again.  Slowly.

To live longer, stop engaging in, tolerating, and justifying bad habits.  To make your company live longer, stop tolerating and justifying people and behaviors that contradict your company’s culture.  Eliminating bad behavior is tough, but it’s the only way to get to your goal.  In life and in business.

5. Rest

Getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night adds years to your life.  Less than five hours doubles your dementia risk.  More sleep also boosts your productivity and creativity at work.

The latest example of rest’s power is the four-day workweek.  In 2022, 61 UK companies adopted it without any changes in pay.  Two years later, 54 still have the policy, and over 30 made it permanent.  Other companies, like Microsoft in Japan, reported productivity increases of more than 40%.

What will you unlock with these keys?

As a leader, you have the power to build a legacy and a company that thrives for generations.  But that only happens if you channel the same energy into achieving corporate longevity that you put into pursuing a longer, healthier life.

By embracing the keys of corporate longevity—caring for today while investing in tomorrow, nurturing relationships, practicing moderation, eliminating bad habits, and prioritizing rest—you’ll build businesses that endure.

The journey to corporate immortality starts with a single step. What’s yours?