I have been involved in the implementation of many projects. I have learned from experience that if you want to make an impact on any project instantly, make an appointment with the top senior person/ team and spend a lot of time you can have with them at the start of the project. Use that time well. Try as much to ask questions and let them speak. Listening is not a sign of weakness. You may be thinking that as a consultant, you should be speaking, sharing insights right away to impress the team with your exposure and skills. Only…
Great leaders think like great Chess players, part 2
In part 1, you learned how to plan your Chess game to gain an advantage. In brief, you need to have more materials of high value and have a superior piece or development. I want you to see each piece on a chessboard as a man you must lead to victory. You are the leader. Your ultimate aim is to protect the King under your care, which is known in the business parlance as shareholder value. In any project, start by identifying the King. What is the ultimate end game? What is the desired outcome? What is that you must…
Great leaders think like great Chess players, part 1
It is easy to become a great leader with knowledge, even basic knowledge, of the game of Chess. For some reason, I gained access to a board game early in my life. But for some reason, we learned how to play draft, and not Chess. Unlike Chess, Draft is a basic game that lacks rigor, creativity, and strategy. Though I was so good at it. It was the wrong game! That is where nature makes a difference. The mentorship to young ones about the right moves and career choices to embrace. You can imagine my exasperation and disappointments, when later…
How to transform the company or person instantly
During a strategic retreat, the Chairman of the board was so impressed by my non-conventional approach to strategic planning that he labeled me Mr. Strategy. Here is what he said verbatim: “Mr. Strategy told us to focus on identifying our distinctive competence and developing capabilities to leverage it. I agree. He has also told us about focusing on a few things, by emphasizing that strategy is about making choices about how to win with customers and the stakeholders against the competition. And he is right. We have been trying to do so many things, which has made us lose our…
The consumer decision journey: always focus on the root cause
Before you spend a fortune on that branding project, first ask: what is the nature of your business and what do customers want? Any logo, and I mean, just any logo has the potential of becoming a memorable and powerful brand only if it represents a company that gives joy to users! People do not just love the logo. They only love what it represents! People are not usually fans of the sportsman or woman, they love the game s/he represents or plays specifically how they make the game exciting! Ronaldo or Messi would lose over 80% of their fans…
Are you focusing on what matters?
God set only 10 commandments to govern the world. These have remained the same for so many years. Equally, you do not need so many rules to win. Focus on what matters. The same applies to priorities. You need 2-3 priorities. A list with more items ceases being a priority list. Identify the top 3 tasks and their respective desired outcomes and KPIs that you must accomplish daily, to get you closer to your medium- and long-term ambition. You will start seeing the difference it makes. Are you focusing on what matters? Avoid writing thick documents. No one has time…
