In my work as an executive coach, I see a consistent pattern. Talented, driven leaders move quickly from idea to execution. They are rewarded for action, so action becomes the default. What gets squeezed out is the quiet, unglamorous work that should come first. Thinking and planning. I am not immune to this myself. So… Continue reading Think-Plan-Act
Tag: Execution
Best Time to Plant a Tree
When was the Best Time to Plant a Tree? This old proverb says the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The next best time is now. The same is true for your 2027 strategic plan and budget. If you have not started, today is the day. The leaders who finish strong… Continue reading Best Time to Plant a Tree
The Clock is Running
There are 58 business days left in 2026. That number is small enough to feel urgent and large enough to matter. Fifty-eight days won’t change your life by itself. But there is plenty of time to finish something meaningful, if you decide what that something is. Most of us don’t fall short because we lack… Continue reading The Clock is Running
Where Is Your Time Actually Going?
The summer slowdown is behind us. Vacations are logged, the out-of-offices are off, and what’s left of 2026 is a sprint that runs straight into your 2027 plan. Before you put your head down, it’s worth pausing for one uncomfortable exercise. Verne Harnish’s Scaling Up methodology rests on four pillars: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash.… Continue reading Where Is Your Time Actually Going?
The Four-Month Sprint
Today is September 10th. New Year’s Eve is seventeen weeks away. That’s not a long runway, it’s four months, 80 working days, one earnings cycle, one holiday season, and one last shot at whatever this year was supposed to be. Sprint or yawn? I’m voting for a fast sprint. Here’s the thinking. The Business Ledger… Continue reading The Four-Month Sprint
The Gift You’re Not Giving: Why “Firing” Is the Wrong Word
I’ve sat across the table from thousands of leaders wrestling with the same knot in their stomach. It’s time to let someone go, and they can’t make themselves do it. So, they wait. They coached for the third time when the first two didn’t work. They tell themselves it’s kindness. It isn’t. It’s cowardice wearing… Continue reading The Gift You’re Not Giving: Why “Firing” Is the Wrong Word
Culture is Caught, Not Taught
Over the years, I’ve come to believe one of the biggest myths in business is that culture lives in a handbook. Our great recruiting practices solve for culture. It doesn’t. You can print your values on a poster, laminate them, hang them in the break room, and still watch people behave in ways that contradict… Continue reading Culture is Caught, Not Taught
Are You Avoiding Conversation Collisions with Others?
The Cost of the Conversation You Keep Avoiding Every team has a moment where someone should say something, and does not. The deadline that is clearly slipping. The teammate who is coasting. The behavior that’s quietly eroding trust. Instead of naming it, we route around it. We collided. Here is the problem. Avoiding the collision… Continue reading Are You Avoiding Conversation Collisions with Others?
The Meeting After the Meeting May Be the Most Important One
The U.S. Marines and Special Operations teams understand something many businesses overlook: Finishing the mission is not the end of the mission. Most Companies Do Not Have a Learning Problem. They Have a Repeating Problem. They make the same mistakes that show up in different ways. Then they call it experience. The U.S. Marines and… Continue reading The Meeting After the Meeting May Be the Most Important One
What is your current AI Grade?
If AI were a class you’re taking right now, what grade would you earn? An A? B? Maybe a C? Most people assume AI is about building agents, writing code, or replacing jobs. It is not. For most professionals, AI is simply the most powerful thinking partner they’ve ever had. The question is not, “Do… Continue reading What is your current AI Grade?