Culture, Leadership, Organizational Identity, Strategy

Dog Eat Dog and Tree Huggers: Why the Wrong Environments Can’t Create Good Strategy

The environment in which we design strategy matters more than leaders often realize. The leadership culture, and the wider business culture, dictate the nature of strategy, and its chances of success. In this article, I introduce you to the Culture Continuum, and I describe why good business strategy can only be cultivated in a people-centric […]

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Learning & Development, Strategic Thinking, Strategy

5 Habits of Strategic Thinkers to Boost Your Influence

Strategic thinking is a key skill for leaders and executives. Almost every job ad out there lists it as a requirement. Here are 5 key habits of strategic thinkers to help you get your head around the question: what is strategic thinking? 1. Practise Purposeful Networking Strategic thinking involves curiosity and learning from others. I

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Executive Leadership, Learning & Development, Strategy

Two Must-Have Resources To Design More Impactful Strategy

Two approaches have proven particularly effective to start aligning leadership teams at the beginning of a strategy and identity process: Combining a 360-degree feedback and a team assessment. These tools address individual leadership challenges and create transparency about a team’s level of functionality. Functional team consisting of conscious leaders will dare to create strategy beyond

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Board of Directors, Corporate Governance, Executive Leadership

The Fish Stinks from its Head: When Boards of Directors Cause More Harm Than Good

The fish stinks from its head. A sentence describing that issues in a business can usually be traced back to the executive table. And that’s what typically happens. We’re quick to blame executives for a lack of leadership, a lack of business strategy, a lack of setting the tone for the desired culture. The reality

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Culture, Executive Leadership, Leadership, Strategy

The Essence of Executive Leadership: Nailing Business Strategy and Culture

What’s the job of an executive leader? So many thoughts come to mind. But in a nutshell it comes down two two things: they’ve got to define the choices to win in a company’s chosen marketplace (that’s business strategy) and make sure everyone’s vibing on the same frequency (that’s company culture). Crafting a Business Strategy

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Leadership, Learning & Development, Performance, Productivity

Operational Scalability: How To Set Up Systems, Procedures, And People To Prepare A Business To Scale

This is an excerpt from an interview with Alex Brueckmann that was first published by Authority Magazine – read the full interview here. In order to make sure that we are all on the same page, let’s begin with a simple definition. What does Operational Scalability mean to you? At its core, operational scalability is

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Leadership, News, Strategy

100 Dynamic Leaders Award: Facilitating Strategies that Impact Businesses

This feature of Alex Brueckmann is part of Exeleon Magazine’s listing of The 100 Most Dynamic Leaders of 2023. Check out the entire issue and listing by clicking on this link. Brief us about your journey. What prompted you to shift from music to management studies and business strategy? Following 9/11, I had lost my job

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Leadership, Performance, Strategy

What Wayne Gretzky Teaches Executives About Strategy

Wayne Gretzky, often hailed as the greatest hockey player of all time, holds a legacy that transcends the rink. Beyond his exceptional skills on the ice, Gretzky’s mindset and approach to the game offer valuable insights that resonate far beyond the realm of sports. His strategies, adaptability, and leadership qualities can be applied to various

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Leadership, Performance, Productivity, Thought Leadership

Eliminating “Let’s Agree to Disagree”: Fostering Constructive Dialogue for Effective Strategy

Strategic decision-making is a crucial aspect that determines the success or failure of organizations. In executive meetings and boardrooms, diverse perspectives often collide. Sometimes they lead to innovation and growth. Sometimes, the outcome is less positive. And that’s where I often hear the phrase “let’s agree to disagree” – a sentence that hinders progress and

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Emotions, Leadership, Strategy

Overcoming Doubts: 7 Challenges Leaders Face with Business Strategy

Leadership demands not only vision but the confidence to act on that vision. Yet, many leaders find themselves wrestling with doubt, which can hinder their ability to make strategic decisions. Doubt is a natural part of leadership, and it’s how you manage and conquer it that defines your ability to steer your business toward a

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Customer Experience, Strategy

6 Essential Ingredients for Exceptional Customer Experiences

Exceptional customer experiences are the bedrock of small and big businesses looking to stand out in the market. These experiences transcend mere transactions and create lasting connections with customers. To understand what makes these experiences exceptional, I share six success factors using inspiring examples from real businesses. 1. Empathy and Understanding Zappos is renowned for

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Performance, Strategy, Vision

Designing a Business Strategy – Between Foresight and Signalling

A business strategy typically addresses a mid-term time horizon of three to five years. Businesses should also explore what lies before and beyond this timeframe. To complement their strategy (mid-term), organizations need foresight (long-term) and signalling (short-term). Signalling addresses the immediate future, and foresight explores what’s beyond the planning horizon of the current business strategy. Identifying

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Leadership, Personal Branding, Thought Leadership

Unleashing Your Executive Personal Brand: Elevating Success and Making Your Mark

(Watch the keynote on personal branding for executives and entrepreneurs that I gave at the World Marketing Summit) Personal branding has become a game-changer for executives who want to stand out from the noise of our busy business world. It’s not just about logos and slogans; it’s about shaping how others see you and aligning

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Leadership, Learning & Development, Strategy

Building People Skills Is No Longer Enough

Executive Summary: The dangers of neglecting strategic skills in leadership development Leadership development programs have long been mainly about so-called soft skills. Participants learned how to communicate more smoothly, delegate better, or manage conflict in their teams. Programs taught coaching skills for leaders and explored emotional intelligence. The main promise of human resources (HR) functions

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Leadership, Performance, Strategy

From $1mn to $100mn: The Top 5 Barriers That High-Growth Companies Need to Overcome

Scaling a high-growth startup from $1million to a lofty 100 million is a monumental achievement. The path to such exponential growth is riddled with numerous barriers that founders and leadership teams must navigate, from market fit and scalability to leadership skills, strategic focus, and beyond. Here’s how to overcome the top 5 barriers that stand

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Culture, Leadership, Performance, Wellbeing

Busting Business Myths: Four Misconceptions That You Should Let Go

Business myths are often perpetuated and become widely accepted as truth, despite being far from accurate. Let’s debunk four common myths: that work-life balance as the key to happiness, that sustainable businesses cannot exist at scale, the assumption that the customer is always right, and the misconception that failure is always bad.  Myth #1: Work-Life

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