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Execution Quality as a strategic Asset: A Guide for Seasoned Managers in Assessing and Benchmarking

The “Big Idea” propelling this discussion is simple yet transformative: Execution quality isn’t just an operational concern but a strategic imperative that impacts long-term organizational success. In a landscape where change is constant and competition is fierce, having a strategy isn’t enough. The real differentiator lies in how effectively that strategy is turned into action. Execution quality becomes the hidden variable that defines the gap between strategic intention what you expect to achieve and actual outcomes what was actually .… Read more

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Rethinking Value: Less About Delight, More About Sacrifice

When it comes to building customer loyalty and perceived value, there’s a common misconception that companies need to go above and beyond, exceeding expectations to ‘delight’ their customers. Yet, as Matthew Dixon, Karen Freeman, and Nick Toman articulate in their classic Harvard Business Review article, “Stop Trying to Delight Your Customers,” this belief may not necessarily hold the key to effective value creation.… Read more

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Crafting Strategy through Board Games: A Kingdomino Case Study

Engaging learners and teaching strategy effectively can be a challenge, particularly when it comes to entry-level leaders. When I teach strategy, I utilize board games as a dynamic tool to make learning enjoyable, hands-on, and intuitive. While I have a roster of games that work well for mid- to senior-level leaders, I’ve been on a quest to find a game that hits the sweet spot for entry-level learners.… Read more

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The challenges of learning for professional managers

After half a decade facilitating learning by professional managers, I have identified 5 key challenges learners face when it comes to learning and development that go beyond the typical lack of time and lack of resources that is often cited as a reason not to learn.

The first major challenge that professional managers face is the impact of a fixed mindset where they believe that their current abilities and talents are the ceiling of what they can achieve or that other approaches are threatening to their current success.… Read more

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The Cognitive Diversity Advantage

Cognitive diversity, the variance in problem-solving approaches and perspectives within a team or organization, is often seen as a valuable asset. The comparison between the mindset of an entrepreneur and that of an engineer grand master provides a fascinating exploration of this concept.

The Entrepreneur: The ‘No Ice’ Approach

Entrepreneurs epitomize a mindset of ‘proving it right.’ They are quintessentially innovators, willing to take calculated risks, pushing boundaries, and constantly seeking opportunities for growth.… Read more