The reputation economy

I offered a client something valuable this week. No strings. No hidden upsell. No freemium catch. Their response? Excitement mixed with suspicion. “What’s the real cost here?” I wasn’t offended. I understood completely. We have all been there,...

The standards you walk past

Steve Jobs once sent back a shipment of screws because they weren’t beautiful enough. Not functional enough. Beautiful. Most people thought he was nuts. What they missed was the standard you walk past becomes the standard you accept. Think about the last time...

Premortem planning

We project goals, milestones, accountability measures. We allocate resources. We plan for success, as we should. But here’s the question that changes everything: If you failed by [specific future date], what would be the reason? Not could fail. Not might fail....

Alignment without agreement

We spend so much time trying to get everyone to agree. It’s exhausting. And often impossible. Here’s what I’ve learned coaching founders through scaling: Agreement is overrated. Alignment is essential. Think about it. You gather your leadership team....

Don’t go overboard

We’ve all seen it. The grocery store shelves stripped bare before a snowstorm that delivers three inches. The project that consumes six months when three would have worked. The meeting that spawns three more meetings to discuss the first meeting. Somewhere...

Accountability changes behavior

Ever wondered where your kids’ good behaviors come from? What about the bad ones? Look no further than the mirror. Children absorb what they see. They model what they experience. They normalize what we tolerate. Why is this any different in organizations? It si...