NEWSLETTER

The Pathfinder Approach

The Pathfinder Approach: Leading When You Can’t See the Full Trail

  Dear Change Leader,   “How are you doing?” I asked a leader recently. “I’m taking it one day at a time, and I’m okay with that,” he replied, a note of celebration in his voice. You see, until we connected in a CEO Roundtable I was hosting, he had been worried that his ability to focus on ‘just’ one

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Navigating Uncertainty: Leadership in Tumultuous Times

Navigating Uncertainty: Leadership in Tumultuous Times

Dear Change Leader, What do you do when you can no longer take anything for granted? When familiar patterns and relationships are disrupted? When routines and well-established processes are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the moment? I believe we’re facing exactly such a moment today. The political and regulatory environment is unstable. The economy is under stress.

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Leading Through Complexity

Leading Through Complexity: Embracing the Messy Middle

Dear Change Leader, Have you ever found yourself in a meeting where half the agenda items feel like routine business, while the other half discuss existential threats to your organization? This cognitive whiplash isn’t just common in leadership today—it’s the defining feature. Consider what might be on your plate this week: Your finance team needs budget approvals for next quarter.

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When the World Goes Through the Shredder

When the World Goes Through the Shredder: A Change Leader’s Guide to Navigating Fundamental Disruption

Dear Change Leader, Let’s be honest — this is a challenging time. The last few weeks have brought more than their fair share of disruptions, affecting us at personal, team, organizational, and community levels. That’s a lot, isn’t it? And you’re not going to be comforted when I share with you an assessment recently made by John Simpson, a respected

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“The Fatal Flaw of ‘Ready, Fire, Aim’” How Smart Change Leaders Prepare Before They Launch

Dear Change Leader,   Ready. Fire. Aim.   Sound familiar? If you’re wincing right now, you’re not alone. This all-too-common approach to change initiatives might be the most expensive three-word sequence in business.   As one veteran change leader noted in Bent Flyvbjerg’s “How Big Things Get Done”: “Change Projects, not only do they often go wrong, but some start

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"Would You Fly This Airline?" Rethinking What We Consider 'Essential' in Organizational Performance

“Would You Fly This Airline?” Rethinking What We Consider ‘Essential’ in Organizational Performance

Dear Change Leader,   Would you fly on this airline?   “We will no longer perform regular maintenance on our aircraft.” “Due to our hiring freeze, there will only be one pilot on the flight deck.”   Imagine an airline making these announcements in the name of cost-cutting. Your reaction would likely be a mix of disbelief and outrage. You’d

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