Edward Hess defines two types of growth patterns in business, nonorganic growth, where companies increase size and power primarily by consuming or assimilating other companies; and organic growth, development that takes place through a commitment to customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and core profitability. While both methods are positive (and successful in their own ways), only one offers longevity, true organizational vitality, and strength that comes only from deep within the core of a healthy business. Through careful study of over 800 companies, with a keen eye on what differentiates those with consistent, long-term high growth rates from those with sudden but often short-lived spurts, Hess and colleagues developed the Organic Growth Index (OGI), identifying 22 companies as OGI winners. Hess presents the six simple attributes that nearly all companies in the OGI winner⁳ circle embody.