Artificial Understanding The Intelligence We Built and the Comprehension We Didn’t Part One of a Three-Part Series Issue 260, April 16, 2026 I attended a virtual event last week that was constructed around consideration and discussion of AI twins for CEOs and C-level executives. The technology discussion was impressive; there are so many options. I geeked out on the framework, policy and procedure points and where progress is happening as we continue to run instead of walk. It was a…

Organizational Memory Loss Why Learning Doesn’t Stick Issue 258, April 2, 2026 A senior leader at a client I work with told me something recently that has stayed with me. Her organization had just completed a major strategic initiative, the third of its kind in four years, and by most measures it had gone reasonably well. On time. On budget. Acceptable progress to date. But when she pulled up the reports from the previous two initiatives, she found something that…

Policy as Proxy Leadership Rules Don’t Lead People. Leaders Do. Issue 257, March 26, 2026 A vice president of operations I worked with at a client recently described a moment that stayed with me. She had been trying to approve a temporary staffing adjustment for one of her regional offices related to a short-term initiative that would increase the load on the customer service team. A decision well within her scope of responsibility. It should have taken a phone call…

Structural Silence Why Organizations Train People Not to Speak Issue 256, March 19, 2026 A compliance director at a mid-size healthcare company told us recently that she had known about a data vulnerability for nearly four months before anyone formally raised it. She was not the only one who knew. At least three other department leads had flagged it informally in one-on-one conversations. None of them brought it up in the cross-functional meetings where it should have been discussed. When…

The Myth of Cross-Functional Collaboration Why Cross-Functional Structures Rarely Deliver the Collaboration They Promise Issue 255, March 12, 2026 There is a particular optimism that appears in organizations whenever someone proposes the creation of a cross-functional team. The assumption is almost immediate: if we can just bring the right functions together, many of the problems slowing progress will begin to disappear. Silos will break down. Collaboration will improve. Alignment will follow. It is an appealing idea. It is also one…

Decision Theater – When People and Organizations Mistake Motion for Commitment Issue 254, March 5, 2026 A COO at an association client recently described her week to me. She had spent Monday in a governance review, Tuesday in an alignment session, Wednesday in two separate stakeholder syncs, and Thursday preparing a decision brief for a steering committee that would meet the following Monday. By Friday, she realized something unsettling: not a single decision had actually been made all week. Every…

The Algorithmic Mirror What AI Reveals About How We Actually Think and Decide Issue 253, February 26, 2026 “What makes AI unsettling isn’t that it changes how decisions are made, but that it exposes how decisions have always been made—only without the human buffers we rely on to soften the truth.” The Mirror No One Was Asking For AI is often framed as a disruptive force—something that replaces human judgment, automates expertise, or accelerates decisions beyond our control. But that…

  The Meeting after the Meeting – Why Your Strategies and Plans Keep Losing Support Issue 252, February 19, 2026 You were in a meeting where you presented a project roadmap seeking to develop new revenue for your department. The meeting ended with apparent consensus, and the project roadmap got the green light. Heads nodded; verbal agreement and support came from most who were in attendance. Action items were assigned. Everyone left the conference room. And then, you learned later…

The Loyalty Trap – When Commitment Becomes a Cage Navigating the Psychology of Organizational Allegiance During Change and Transformation Issue 251, February 12, 2026 A senior vice president at a client I worked with recently described a moment that caused me some pause. After 22 years at the organization, he sat in a board meeting watching leadership present a transformation roadmap that would eliminate his entire division’s operating model. He told me, “I knew they were right. I knew we…

The Busyness Trap – Why We Wear Exhaustion as a Status Symbol Issue 250, February 5, 2026 Ask any professional how they are doing, and you are likely to hear some variation of “busy” or “slammed” or “crazy right now.” We have turned exhaustion into a status marker, using packed schedules as evidence that we matter and that what we do matters. Research published in the Journal of Consumer Research by Bellezza, Paharia, and Keinan in 2017 documented this phenomenon…

The Relationship Decay Rate – Why Professional Connections Atrophy Without Intention Issue 249, January 29, 2026 Someone you haven’t spoken with in three years reaches out asking for an introduction. You were once genuine colleagues, people who supported each other’s work and cared about each other’s success. Now you hesitate, calculating whether the relationship still warrants the favor being requested. Something that would have been automatic three years ago now requires deliberation. This is the relationship decay rate at work…

When Being Right Isn’t Enough The Human Factor in Influence and Timing Issue 248, January 22, 2026 Early in my career, I watched a brilliant colleague present an analysis that was precise and correct. His data was impeccable, his logic flawless, his recommendation clearly the right path forward. The room thanked him; some even gave him kudos for the completeness of the analysis and the thoughtfulness he applied to the recommendation. Following the meeting, the leadership announced they were proceeding…

The Confidence Calibration Problem Why Self-Assessment Fails Us at the Worst Possible Moments Issue 247, January 15, 2026 In virtually every meeting where decisions are being made, someone in the room is speaking with authority on a subject they understand poorly, while someone else with genuine expertise is holding back because they’re not confident their perspective or even the information they have is valuable. This asymmetry shapes outcomes in ways we rarely recognize. This phenomenon of human behavior cuts across…

The Advice We Never Take Why Leaders Seek Counsel They Systematically Ignore Issue 246, January 8, 2026 A CEO I worked with several years ago hired three different consulting firms over 18 months to advise on the same strategic question. Each firm conducted extensive research, interviewed stakeholders, and delivered comprehensive recommendations. Each recommendation pointed in essentially the same direction. And each time, he thanked them, paid their invoices, and proceeded exactly as he had intended before asking. When I asked…

The Psychology of Fresh Starts Why January Optimism Fails and What Actually Makes Change Stick Issue 245, January 2, 2026 Fresh starts are seductive. They promise change and transformation without the messy work of actual change and transformation. Every January, leaders announce bold new initiatives, teams commit to better collaboration, and individuals embrace change with the enthusiasm of people who have conveniently forgotten how last year’s resolutions ended. The calendar turns, and we believe this time will be different. We…

Holiday Week Sampler 2025 A Season of Hope, Renewal, and New Beginnings Issue 244, December 26, 2025 As we gather during this holiday week between Christmas and the New Year, we find ourselves in a unique moment of transition. The celebrations of the past few days give way to quiet reflection, and the promise of a fresh year beckons just ahead. This week’s sampler draws from our archive of 243 issues to explore themes that feel especially relevant during this…

The Case for Strategic Patience Why Leaders Should Know When to Hold Back Issue 243, December 18, 2025 A CEO had a vision for where her organization needed to go. She could see the full picture clearly: the new capabilities they would build, the market position they would claim, and the organizational changes that would be required along the way. It was ambitious, and it was right if the organization was to continue growing and remain relevant. But when she…

When Change Champions Burn Out The Hidden Cost of Driving Change and Transformation Issue 242, December 11, 2025 She was exactly the kind of employee every leader dreams of when launching a change initiative or an organization-wide transformation. When the organization’s leadership announced the initiative eighteen months ago, she volunteered immediately. She learned the new processes faster than anyone else. She became the steady go-to for confused colleagues, the calm presence in tense project meetings, the translator helping others make…