NEWSLETTER

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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When Leaders (Over) React: The Hidden Cost of Unmanaged Emotions

When Leaders (Over) React: The Hidden Cost of Unmanaged Emotions

Dear Change Leader, Has anyone ever spoken to you like this? “Don’t you dare challenge me again.” “That’s a stupid idea” “Who asked you?” Ouch. That hurts. Think back to a time when you heard words like these. Notice how, even now, just remembering might make you feel unsettled. There’s a reason for that: emotions leave chemical traces in our

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Are you Ready to Make Better Mistakes in 2025? Your mistakes can be a rich source of learning – if you allow them to be.

Are you Ready to Make Better Mistakes in 2025? Your mistakes can be a rich source of learning – if you allow them to be.

  Dear Change Leader, We’re starting a new year, one that is certain to contain its fair share of unexpected developments. The upcoming change in presidential administration here in the United States is certain to provide many, many events and announcements that will impact the organizations we lead – both here and around the world. A lot has been –

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