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The Quiet Collapse of Management
There is a growing belief in modern executive leadership that companies move faster by reducing management. It shows up in phrases like flattening the organization, empowering teams, or becoming more efficient through AI and tooling. On the surface, it sounds like progress. Underneath, it is often a misunderstanding of how work actually gets done. What is happening in many organizations is not that management is being improved. It is being weakened. The people responsible for
Apr 46 min read
Agile Coaching Is Declining. That Doesn’t Mean You Are
If you are an Agile coach trying to make sense of this market, you are not imagining it. The roles are fewer. The competition is heavier. People with real-world experience are asking a hard question: if demand for Agile coaches is shrinking, what does that say about the value of the work? It is an understandable question, but I think it points in the wrong direction. What is under pressure is the title, not the deeper capability behind it. The market is not saying that helpin
Mar 174 min read
Does Intel Finally Regain Its Leadership with Lip-Bu Tan at the Helm?
The semiconductor industry and Intel people are buzzing with Intel's announcement that Lip-Bu Tan will become CEO, succeeding Pat Gelsinger. Intel has long sought to regain its leadership in manufacturing and performance—a position it once held firmly but has been overtaken by competitors like TSMC, AMD, and NVIDIA. When Gelsinger returned to Intel in 2021, he was expected to bring engineering expertise and a commitment to restoring Intel's cutting-edge status. Despite his ef
Mar 13, 20252 min read
How Post-Founder Leadership Fails
When most founders step down from their leadership roles, they leave a legacy and a significant gap in the organization’s culture and direction. The charismatic individual who drove the vision, shaped the culture, and motivated employees can be tricky—sometimes impossible to replace. It’s not uncommon to see the next generation of leadership stumble once a founder departs, creating confusion, stagnation, or a loss of the original spark that propelled the company forward. Unde
Feb 18, 20253 min read
Intel’s Decline: Can it Return to Greatness?
I spent 30 years at Intel, joining the company when it had fewer than 35,000 employees and was synonymous with innovation, excellence, and a relentless drive to succeed. Intel wasn’t just a workplace; it was a culture led by visionaries like Andy Grove, who believed in leading from the front and instilling values directly. I experienced this on my very first day, when Grove himself taught my orientation class—a powerful reminder that leadership is about connection and teachin
Dec 8, 20245 min read
Called Out for Being Too Academic? Time to Transform Your Approach
Many change agents enter their roles armed with knowledge—academic models, theories, and frameworks they believe will guide their efforts. But when it comes to real-world transformation, relying too heavily on these tools can backfire. Instead of building connections and gaining buy-in, they might find their audience disengaged and distant. The most effective change agents understand that it’s not about what they know; it’s about how they communicate and relate to others. Her
Oct 7, 20244 min read
Best Practices for Product Managers to Improve Stakeholder Value
As a product or project manager, balancing the needs of different stakeholders is vital to building successful products. Improving stakeholder value means addressing the expectations and requirements of three core groups: developers, company leadership, and customers. Here are the best practices to help you deliver maximum value to each of these key players: Empower and Motivate Developers Developers are the backbone of product execution. Keeping them motivated and aligned wi
Sep 9, 20243 min read
Why Cutting Jobs Can Drastically Harm Your Company’s Future
Layoffs are often viewed as a necessary evil, a tool for companies to cut costs, improve efficiency, or realign resources in response to economic pressures. However, the repercussions of layoffs can extend far beyond immediate financial relief, profoundly impacting the company’s morale, reputation, and long-term success. Here’s why layoffs can be detrimental to your company. Damage to Employee Morale Layoffs can severely impact the morale of remaining employees. When colleagu
Aug 6, 20243 min read
From Micromanagement to Empowerment
Overcoming micromanagement is a journey of self-awareness and adjustment for any leader who recognizes the pitfalls of this management style. While sometimes rooted in a desire for perfection or control, micromanagement can stifle team creativity, lower morale, and even hinder productivity. If you find yourself leaning towards micromanagement, here are strategies to help you evolve your leadership approach and empower your team effectively. Recognize the Signs Recognizing the
Mar 6, 20243 min read
The Evolution of OKRs and Andy Grove's Legacy
The concept of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) has its roots in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and it has evolved from a rich lineage of management theory and practice. Andy Grove, the former CEO of Intel, played a significant role in shaping the concept of OKRs, which has now been widely adopted by many companies worldwide. Here's a brief overview of the development and history of OKRs. Precursors to OKRs The roots of OKRs are in the Management by Objectives (MBO) approac
Feb 16, 20243 min read
The Evolution of Leadership: Embracing Hybrid and Situational Approaches
In modern organizations, leadership has evolved beyond traditional styles due to the rapidly changing landscape. Today’s complex challenges often require a blend of different leadership approaches. As a result, Hybrid and Situational Leadership models have emerged. These models combine the strengths of well-established styles, such as the Expert, Achiever, and Catalyst, to provide a more adaptive and comprehensive approach to leadership. Understanding the Core Leadership Styl
Jan 23, 20243 min read
Revitalizing Middle Management
In the intricate tapestry of organizational dynamics, middle managers are the linchpin between strategic visions crafted by top leadership and the everyday execution carried out by front-line employees. However, these people often find themselves in a challenging position, navigating the delicate balance between upper management expectations and the well-being of their teams. As organizations evolve in response to the demands of the modern workplace, it is increasingly appare
Dec 10, 20233 min read
Influence: The Cornerstone of Success
Having the ability to influence others is an essential skill for success in any position. It allows us to motivate and guide positive change for both customers and employees. Effective leaders utilize their influence to inspire their teams, establish trust, and promote collaboration. This leads to a more engaged and productive workforce. Essentially, the power of influence is the key factor that enables leaders, regardless of their level or position, to create a shared vision
Oct 30, 20233 min read
Shifting to Agile: A Guide for CIOs, CTOs, and the People Influencing Them
As businesses strive to keep up with the ever-evolving digital age, Agile is becoming an increasingly popular methodology to stay ahead of the curve. However, for CIOs and CTOs, implementing Agile can pose a significant challenge as it requires a fundamental shift in how they think about and manage projects. One of the biggest hurdles is surrendering control as their role shifts from managing projects to being a facilitator and enabler. This shift can be difficult for some th
Mar 28, 20233 min read
Embracing Agility: A New Approach to Employee Evaluations
Agile methodology is a flexible and collaborative approach to project management that emphasizes teamwork, experimentation, and continuous improvement. However, traditional performance evaluations can hinder Agile by creating a culture of competition and discouraging risk taking. They can also be demotivating, time consuming, and inflexible. Hindering Collaboration and Risk Taking One of the primary ways that performance evaluations can hinder Agile is by creating a culture o
Mar 12, 20233 min read
Leadership in Organizational Change: Why Catalysts Prevail
Effective leadership is paramount in driving successful organizational change, and a leader's approach can significantly impact the outcome. While various leadership styles are available, not all are equally effective in leading change initiatives. For example, the achiever leadership style may not be the most suitable for leading complex organizational transformations. How Achievers go Wrong Achiever leaders tend to be highly organized, driven, and results-oriented, prioriti
Mar 9, 20233 min read
Your Request to Improve is Denied!
A few weeks back, I was at the Agile Testing Days conference in Germany, and I had a great conversation with one of the attendees about what they learned. This included things like how to do automation, exploratory testing, driving transformation, and many other ways to improve as an engineer. The person said they could not wait to go back to work and ask their manager for approval to try some of the things they learned. I was shocked to hear this–approval? This was partly be
Nov 26, 20194 min read
OdinSTAR 2017, and the not so forgotten questions
A week ago, I was in Oslo, Norway, for the OdinSTAR 2017 conference on software testing, and I had the privilege of teaching a great group of people in my Agile Leadership Workshop. The workshop is taught dynamically and I never expect for us to get through all of the materials in the class. So, in the very beginning the students sorted the backlog of potential topics and added key questions to establish the highest value for their four-hour investment. By the end of the cou
May 18, 20175 min read
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