Leave behind these “truths”

Hello,

Early this month, in recognition of Small Business Week, I asked my audience — including founders, entrepreneurs, and the many corporate leaders serving the small business segment — to reflect on what “small” in this context means to them. 

Many of you reached out to share your insights, making it clear that while 99.9% of businesses are categorized as “small,” their ambitions and impact on their communities and the economy are rarely small. 

What businesses both large and small share in common: they’re racing to keep pace with what technology can enable, and close the gap between what’s possible and what people are ready to embrace and adopt. 

Read on for how I’m helping leaders across industries and businesses do just that. 

Three “Meeting-Room-Only” Truths

In my strategy work with clients and in my keynote speeches, I often challenge what I call “meeting-room-only” truths — ideas that might win applause in a conference room but fall apart during implementation.

Here are three that I advise leaders to leave behind:

1. “We’ve got a beautiful-looking plan — we’re ready.”

The best-looking slide decks rarely survive first contact with reality. Before moving forward, ask: Has this plan been developed collaboratively with the people who will implement it — and is it based on listening to those it will impact? If not, it may be theater, not strategy.

2. “We rely on the experts.”

Expertise is essential — but it can also limit innovation. The more deeply someone understands the way things have always worked, the harder it can be to imagine how things could work. What makes the difference? Diverse inputs and fresh perspectives, including insights that don’t show up in spreadsheets.

3. “Our strategy is clear — it’s been finalized and shared.”

Maybe. But watch where resources actually go. The real strategy isn’t what’s written — it’s where capital, time, and technology are invested.

Want support surfacing the “unwritten rules” shaping how your strategy is being implemented and how to align your intention with what’s really happening? Let’s talk.

Harnessing AI Adoption in Banking

I recently had the honor of keynoting the inaugural Zelle® Marketing Forum, where I shared a message that challenges conventional change management: Resistance doesn’t have to be a problem — if you are open to reframing it as a strategic resource.

With 25% growth in 2024, over 3.6 billion transactions, and more than $1 trillion in volume, Zelle is proof that established financial institutions can lead innovation in payments, especially when they relentlessly pursue a vision while facing many non-believers along the way to their current success. 

In my talk, I outlined how leaders can drive AI adoption, particularly in a highly-regulated industry by:

• Reframing resistance as insight, not an obstacle.
• Investing time and effort in supporting your “coalition of the willing” – your most active supporters.
• Understanding the influence dynamics of your organization, and how they extend way beyond what the org chart seems to tell you.
• Aligning values to find the common ground that can help teams rise above even the most fraught implementation disagreements.

The response was terrific, with pointed questions from payments executives across top brands in the sector. 

This keynote is now offered as an interactive workshop, currently being adapted for an array of financial services teams. Please let me know if you’re interested in learning more about practical tools to help your organization move beyond resistance to real momentum and impact. 

What ambitious effort are you focused on right now? And most importantly, what are you doing to compel its success?

So many well-intentioned initiatives fall short. Not because of a lack of capital or technology, but because of the gap between what technology makes possible and what people are actually ready to embrace.

Strategic Advocacy is the methodology I’ve developed, vetted in my teaching assignment at Columbia University, and now use to help leaders move beyond traditional models of change management to a practical toolset for turning bold ideas into lasting, real-world impact.

So, what big initiatives are you trying to bring to your customers and clients, and how might you turn resistance into fuel, instead of friction? I’d love to help you get there.

Warm regards,