9 powerful ways to level up your thinking:

1. 10-Year Horizon
↳ "Plan in decades, think in years, work in months, live in days."

2. SWOT Analysis
↳ Before any major decision, map your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

3. Second-Order Thinking
↳ Think beyond what happens next by asking “And then what?”

4. Inversion
↳ Imagine the worst possible outcome, then work backwards to prevent it.

5. Kaizen and Kaikaku
↳ Balance incremental improvements with breakthrough innovations.

6. Category of One
↳ Create something so unique that you escape competition entirely.

7. Skill Stacking
↳ Become top 10% in several skills, and you create a rare combination that opens top 1% opportunities.

8. Barbell Strategy
↳ Place 90% of your time, money, and energy into low-risk bets and 10% into high-risk, high-upside opportunities.

9. Regret Minimization
↳ When facing tough decisions, ask: "Will I regret not trying this in 10 years?"

The best part?

You can apply these to your career, business, and life.

Start with one. Master it. Then move to the next.

You’ll be thinking strategically in no time.

69% of employees say they want more feedback.

Steal this sheet to become a better leader:

Outstanding leaders offer instructive feedback.
They know it's one of the best ways to help people grow.

Constructive feedback, when given properly,
Can take your business to the next level.

Steal this guide to giving better feedback.
Here's a sneak peek of what's included:

4 feedback and improvement models:

1. SBI model: Avoids ambiguity and provides specific actions.
2. COIN model: Focuses on building stronger relationships.
3. GROW model: Adaptable, iterative coaching approach.
4. CEDAR model: A structured, actionable process.

Top 5 tips from Harvard for giving productive feedback:

Start with empathy
Plan in advance
Be specific & focused.
Encourage open conversation
Look ahead and embrace innovation

How to offer feedback during meetings:

Make them the focus of the meeting
Build rapport, then dive in
Understand their needs
Sandwich criticism with praise
Choose a calm, safe environment
Listen actively with your full attention
Provide specific, actionable advice
Establish mutually meaningful goals

Don't let weak communication hold you back.
Save this sheet to start giving better feedback.

What's your favorite feedback tip?
Let me know in the comments

______________

Pull up a chair, the best conversations happen here.

90% of the companies fail to execute their strategy:

Want to know how the remaining 10% manage to do it?

I want to introduce an extremely useful concept:

The Strategy Pyramid.

This is the concept shared by Wendy McGuiness (2011).

It summarizes the 9 key pillars of successful strategy and its execution, divided into 3 main categories: purpose, strategy and execution.

A) Purpose:

1. Mission:

Defines the fundamental purpose or reason for the existence of the corporation, answering questions like "Why do we exist?" and "What is our core reason for being in business?"

2. Values:

Sets out the guiding principles and beliefs that shape the corporate culture and decision-making processes, reflecting the organization's ethical standards and desired behaviors.

3. Vision:

Paints a clear picture of the desired future state of the company, providing direction and inspiration by answering the question "Where do we want to be in the future?"

B) Strategy:

4. Strategic Intent:

Outlines the overarching goals and objectives of the organization, defining the desired outcomes and the path to achieve them.

5. Drivers:

Identifies the key factors or strategic priorities that will drive the company's success, such as market expansion, product innovation, cost leadership, or customer experience.

6. Enablers:

Represents the resources, capabilities, and infrastructure needed to execute the strategy effectively, including technology, human capital, financial resources, etc.

C) Execution:

7. Targets and Initiatives:

Sets specific, measurable targets and initiatives aligned with the strategic objectives, providing actionable steps to move the organization forward.

8. Performance Indicators:

Establishes metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress toward goals and assess the effectiveness of strategic initiatives.

9. Strategy Map:

Communicates the corporate strategy in a clear manner and ensures alignment across the organization.

These categories provide a framework for corporate leaders to:

1) Articulate the purpose of the organization,
2) Develop a clear strategy to achieve its goals,
3) Execute it effectively

Make sure you address all the points:

As they are equally important.

_____

A title doesn't make you a leader.


How you choose to treat your team does.


Credit to: Dora Vanourek
Follow her for more leadership insights.


Original post below:





"A title doesn't make you a leader.

How you choose to treat your team does.

Your words have power:
they can either lift your team up or tear them down.

Micromanagers destroy trust and create anxiety and fear. They:

↳ Control every step, leaving no room for creativity.
↳ Demand constant updates and reports.
↳ Second-guess every team decision.
↳ Obsess over imperfections.
↳ Hover over every detail.

Leaders who trust empower their teams. They:

↳ Create safe spaces to take risks.
↳ Value diverse perspectives.
↳ Encourage innovation.
↳ Show genuine care.
↳ Enable growth.

Trust builds teams.
Micromanagement breaks them.

Choose wisely.

Be the leader you wish you had.

♻ Repost to inspire healthier leadership.
Follow Dora Vanourek for more."


____________


Pull up a chair, the best conversations happen here.
The Leader's Table

You want to become a paid speaker?

Here's why so few people achieve that goal:

Most people in those early stages have the right intentions, but focus too much on their topic and not enough time understanding how the business of speaking works.

Because it is a business.

They write a talk.
Update their social profile that they're a keynote speaker.
Post some of their ideas for others to see.
Tell their friends and colleagues that they're a professional speaker.

Maybe there's a couple early wins, but there's no real momentum or sustainability.

Here’s what successful speakers actually do:

They treat this like a business, not a hobby.

Let me show you the difference:

What most people do:
– Create a talk without knowing who it’s for
– Talk about a topic or their own story, but don't solve a real problem for the audience
– Ask their network of connections for stage time
– Post vague content hoping someone notices

What real speakers do:
– Start with the market, not just their idea
– Study what’s already working
– Position themselves with clarity and confidence
– Build proof, then momentum, then income

Here’s how to get out of your own head and into the game:

➡ Go to a speaker bureau site like WSB, BigSpeak, or Gotham
➡ Click on a category like AI, culture, sales, or innovation
➡ Filter by fee range
➡ Look at taglines, bios, and pricing
➡ Ask yourself:

Is my topic truly unique?
What marketing assets do they have in place (website, video, social profile)?
Do I actually bring something different to the table?
Are others getting booked for this topic?
Could I eventually charge what they charge?
And most importantly…
Do I feel excited after this exercise — or intimidated and drained?

You don’t need to be the only one in your lane. With others in that market category, it validates that there is a category.

Stop wondering if you can do this. Start studying the game strategically to really understand how it works.