SITUATION APPRAISAL
Most leaders know that they don't know everything. Distinction isn't about Change, it's about Choice.
Executives often hire a "Brand Name" not to solve a problem, but to secure an alibi. It signals to your board that you made the "safe" choice, shielding you from scrutiny. But safety is the enemy of distinction. You aren't paying for their expertise; you are paying for their reputation to cover your inaction. And that transaction is exactly where the deception begins.
"It's not about change. It's about "choice."
MORE THAN A NAME PT. 1
THE
LIE YOU
WERE SOLD
Once again, you are looking for an edge. A breakthrough. A magic pill. You've been told to invest in frameworks, AI, and the steady stream of outside resources who peddle them. You know it’s a ruse. You know there is no cheat code for survival. But you write the check because it feels safer than doing the actual work.
You see, that's the LIE. The "Fixers" monetize your fear of missing out. They push rigid frameworks and off-the-shelf playbooks, ignoring the fact that a "Best Practice" for everyone is a competitive advantage for no one. They call it a strategy, but that couldn't be further from the truth. And you know it.
A subscription isn't a strategy. And the "Fixers" are limited by what they can actually do. So they hand you off to a referral network of "Taskmasters"—specialists brought in to tighten a bolt or code a feature. These are mercenaries committed to a scope, not your strategy. They complete the task and move on, leaving you to assemble a disjointed "Frankenstein" of parts that never actually fit together.
THEIR CURRENCY IS DELIVERABLES. YOURS IS RESULTS. MERCENARIES ARE LOYAL TO THE INVOICE, NOT THE OUTCOME.
"Above all insults to a leader's legacy is "chief figurehead."
MORE THAN A NAME PT. 2
DISTINCTION
OR
EXTINCTION
The "FIX" is in. When you cook with the same pre-packaged ingredients, AI, algorithms, and frameworks as everyone else, you can't claim distinction. And you certainly can't claim the reward.
Innovation isn't imported. "Better" can't be purchased off a shelf; it must be extracted from the talent already present, mining the intellect that is currently dormant in the hallway. Evolution isn't managed. "Managing Change" creates friction, not results. The very Condition of the environment must be altered so that growth becomes inevitable.
And Culture isn't manufactured. It is never built with a slide deck. It is established, nurtured, and defined by the ruthless exemplar at the helm.
When you stop renting solutions and start harvesting them, you create a proprietary advantage that the market can't copy.
MORE THAN A NAME PT. 1
CRAIG NEAL® THE COLLABORATOR ®
Most Executives know they don't know everything. Whether you're running a multinational enterprise or a private venture, the requirement is the same: You must be ready to denounce the status quo.
While my work spans the Fortune 500® and the Privately Held sectors, I don't leverage those names for validation. I don't trade in logos. My practice is industry agnostic, defined not by the size of the organization, but by the Condition of the Leader and their People.
If you're looking for casual advice or a "fixer," the market is full of them. But if you're ready to secure your position, you still have to make that executive decision:
Distinction or Extinction