Leadership

Executive Leadership, Leadership, Strategic Thinking, Strategy

If You Hire Big Consulting to Design Your Strategy, You Might As Well Be Fired


For decades, the saying went: “No one ever got fired for hiring McKinsey or BCG.” These firms, and others like them, represented the gold standard for corporate strategy. But recently, a seismic shift is shaking this narrative. A top executive I know of was recently unceremoniously removed by their board—not for incompetence or malfeasance, but […]

If You Hire Big Consulting to Design Your Strategy, You Might As Well Be Fired
 Read Post »

Culture, Executive Leadership, Leadership, Personal growth

10 uncomfortable truths every leader should read

When you’ve been around long enough, you see patterns in behavior, individual and organizational. And you hear people say things, and repeat them again and again, sometimes really stupid things. When I say ‘stupid’, I mean misinformed, shortsighted, and simple plain wrong things that people hear and then repeat. Often they perpetuate fads and myths

10 uncomfortable truths every leader should read Read Post »

Culture, Executive Leadership, Leadership

What effective team development looks like – and what you should avoid

If you ask 10 CEOs whether they’d like their business to have a winning strategy, you’d probably get 11 “yes” responses. Everyone wants their business to lead with a great strategy, of course. Chances are that out of those same 10 CEOs, the majority would start strategy at the wrong end: the strategy itself. Yes,

What effective team development looks like – and what you should avoid Read Post »

Executive Leadership, Leadership, Strategy

Why ELTs struggle to focus on strategy and how to overcome It

Executive Leadership Teams (ELTs) often find it challenging to shift gears, from day-to-day operations to long-term strategy. This brings a number of challenges, the most obvious ones is that the No.1 ELT responsibility is shaping strategy and culture. No-one else can take this job off their plates. Here are the main reasons behind this struggle

Why ELTs struggle to focus on strategy and how to overcome It Read Post »

Board of Directors, Corporate Governance, Leadership, Strategy

Avoiding the Tyranny of the Urgent – The Power of Strategy Governance

“Here we go again.” This was my initial thought when a client was reluctant to establish structures for strategy implementation. I had seen similar hesitation before – and the negative consequences of lacking strategy governance. Neglecting governance – reasons vary, see below – is a bad idea. Without strategy governance, leaders and staff often get distracted

Avoiding the Tyranny of the Urgent – The Power of Strategy Governance Read Post »

Communcation, Leadership, Organizational Identity, Strategy

The Hardest Thing to get Right – How to Solve Your Communication Issue

When a client had just completed a merger, they were shooting for the top spot in the market. While the physical aspects of the merger, such as housing and IT, went well, the cultural merger was dragging behind. The company struggled to overhaul work procedures and create a general work philosophy across all units. As

The Hardest Thing to get Right – How to Solve Your Communication Issue Read Post »

Leadership, Storytelling, Strategy, Vision

Vision or no Vision – The Art of Storytelling in Strategy

When it comes to designing strategy, I often see two approaches collide. Vision-driven strategy versus problem-driven strategy. Vision-driven strategy starts with describing a desired status quo, at some point in the future, for example 3-5 years from now. Problem-driven strategy, on the other hand, aims to define and address the biggest immediate hurdle to overcome

Vision or no Vision – The Art of Storytelling in Strategy Read Post »

9EOI, Leadership, Strategy

From Time Teller to Clock Builder – How I Failed to Lead and Started Over

The first leadership job typically comes to a person because they are great at what they do. And because they master their subject, someone thinks the expert would make a great leader, teaching others how to do it. That someone often doesn’t understand much about leadership in the first place. Subject matter expertise has little

From Time Teller to Clock Builder – How I Failed to Lead and Started Over Read Post »

Leadership, Learning & Development, Strategy

How Strategic Leadership Development Creates RoI

Developing effective leaders is a critical component of any successful organization. But simply training individuals in leadership skills doesn’t cut it. For maximum impact – and return on investment – development programs must be integrated with an organization’s business strategy. 15% Improvement in Organizational Performance Organizations that link leadership development to their business goals see

How Strategic Leadership Development Creates RoI Read Post »

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

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

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

The Essence of Executive Leadership: Nailing Business Strategy and Culture Read Post »

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

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

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

100 Dynamic Leaders Award: Facilitating Strategies that Impact Businesses Read Post »

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

What Wayne Gretzky Teaches Executives About Strategy Read Post »

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

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

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

Overcoming Doubts: 7 Challenges Leaders Face with Business Strategy Read Post »

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

Unleashing Your Executive Personal Brand: Elevating Success and Making Your Mark Read Post »

Scroll to Top