Bryan’s Blog

Strategic Teams: Why Great Teams are Strategic

I often refer to teams operating outside the tent, most recently in my blog Strategic Influencers. Now it’s time to ask, “Which tent?” In Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works, authors Lafley and Martin preach that the two biggest questions are “Where to play?” and “How to win?” and provide multiple examples from the

Strategic Barriers: Why Great Advice Sometimes Gets Ignored

Even when your team has earned their place “inside the tent” (see Strategic Influencers) – armed with invaluable advice delivered in the language of the business—they may still find their recommendations falling on deaf ears. Why? Your first instinct might be to blame arrogance, hubris, or even poor judgment. But there’s a more nuanced and

Strategic Advice

Is Your Team Influencing from Outside the Tent? If your team of strategic influencers is still operating “outside the tent” (as discussed in last week’s blog, their mission is clear: earn the trust of decision makers. Once they’re trusted, they’ll be invited inside, where decisions are made. Simple in theory, but usually harder in practice.

Strategic Influencers

For most of the organisations I work with, the person who brings me in and works closely with me, is a strategic influencer. Whether they are the CFO, CPO, CIO, or CRO They’re master influencers of strategic decision makers. Why am I focusing on influence? Because in many organisations the other strategic leaders on the

No Creativity = No Risk = No Magic

There is the need for Trust, there is the need for Purpose, however, there is no magic without Creativity. The more creative, the more risky – like the the Sydney Opera House, Disneyland, Apple’s iPhone, SpaceX’s Falcon 1 reusable rocket. Wouldn’t you have liked to be a big part of one of those achievements? Maybe