Today's Management Pulse
Founder risk drives steep valuation discounts in owner‑led services firms
Dr. Dave Heath explains that founder‑dependency in owner‑led services firms mirrors the manager‑risk LPs assess in private‑equity funds. Buyers, banks and investors price this key‑person risk with 30‑50% valuation discounts or higher loan spreads. The risk stems from undefined decision authority, undocumented founder judgment, and missing exception handling.
From Sedimentary To Strategic: Rethinking Security Organizational Design
Security leaders often let organizational structures evolve unintentionally, mirroring past breaches, regulations, and technology shifts rather than current business realities. Forrester’s new research introduces five distinct security organization models—centralized, federated, business‑centric, product‑centric, and oversight center—to help CISOs make deliberate design choices. The report emphasizes five design principles: aligning to business outcomes, mirroring corporate reporting lines, defining clear roles, staying adaptable, and prioritizing talent. By applying these models, security functions can become strategic enablers rather than operational bottlenecks.
5 Daily Responsibilities of Managers
Effective managers balance present‑focused execution with future‑oriented leadership by adhering to five core daily responsibilities. They define current priorities, coach talent, stay connected yet non‑intrusive, eliminate operational friction, and lift teams out of day‑to‑day weeds. The article emphasizes that clarity...
The Octopus Model: Rethinking How Sales and Marketing Organizations Make Decisions
The article introduces the Octopus Model, a framework that shifts sales and marketing decision‑making from a central brain to the organization’s edges. By leveraging AI, frontline reps gain real‑time intelligence, while a shared data layer keeps arms coordinated. The model...
Psychological Safety, Diversity, and Purpose Build Resilient Teams
🛡️ In this era of technological disruption, resilient teams are your most valuable asset. This video shares the key components of truly resilient teams: psychological safety that allows risk-taking without fear; cognitive diversity that brings different thinking styles; adaptable structures...
Assertiveness Part 2: From Authority to Influence
The post argues that leaders must move from merely owning an Authority Narrative to using it as a tool for influence through structured feedback. It highlights how 90% of executives have a story but avoid confronting performance gaps, especially in...
Rethinking the ‘Standard’ Accountant – The Case for Neuro-Inclusion
ACCA’s new report highlights that 15‑20% of the UK workforce is neurodivergent, prompting leading accountancy firms to abandon one‑size‑fits‑all talent models. It outlines five strategic pillars—cognitive profiling, safe disclosure, tech leverage, co‑created support, and personal networks—to redesign workplaces for neuro‑inclusion....
Leadership Ignored Upskilling; Train Now or Be Replaced
Meta is laying off 20%. Block is laying off 40%. Both blame AI. Here's what actually happened: Leadership moved too slow. And employees waited too long. If you're a leader: The companies cutting teams right now had the same warning...
AI Boosts Productivity—Will It Reach All Industries?
The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed has never been more appropriate. AI productivity gains have gone from a myth to a fact I see multiple examples of at work each week. The question is now more if...
How to Run 'Ask Me Anything' Town Halls without Losing Control
Atlassian dismissed a U.S. engineer who called the CEO a “rich jerk” during an internal AMA, turning a casual video call into a U.S. labor board hearing. The incident underscores how open‑forum formats can quickly spiral into legal disputes, especially...
Empower Top Talent: Hire and Step Aside
Hire high agency people and then stay out of their way. Too many companies put up too many speed bumps that just slow down the people who bring in the money.
Plan Architecture First: Map Processes, Roles, Tech
Don't just blueprint software; architect your business. Map out processes, redefine roles, and integrate technologies before diving in. Strategic upfront planning is key to business success. #BusinessStrategy #ProcessImprovement https://t.co/v2G4iRD9Gv
Why Toxic Leadership Backfires: Study Reveals Long‑Term Damage to Productivity and Morale
A new study by Portland State University professor Liu‑Qin Yang examined workplaces in the United States and China and found that abusive managers trigger “organizational dehumanization,” making employees feel like interchangeable cogs. This loss of humanity fuels emotional exhaustion, burnout,...
Celebrate Small Wins Daily to Reduce Fund Stress
When you're running a real estate fund, there's lots of balls in the air, the stakes are high, and you deal with a healthy level of pressure and stress. Something I came up with to help balance things: I ask my team...
Design, Coach, Let Go: Build a Self‑Running Business
Building a business that runs without you requires an obsession to letting go. scaling it requires restraint. Start small: Stop solving and start coaching. Document decisions and set standards. Your job shifts from doing --> designing.
IOCO Scraps ‘Work From Home’ – and Says It’s Boosting Productivity
iOCO, the JSE‑listed technology services group, has eliminated its work‑from‑home policy, requiring all 4,300 staff to work full‑time from the office. CEO Rhys Summerton said the change has produced measurable gains in productivity, fewer errors and higher customer satisfaction. The...
Shortening QA to Cover Design Delays Backfires
Reducing the QA phase to one day to make up for delays in the design phase is a massive trap.
Define Clear KPIs to Replace Gut‑Feeling Management
“Davie, something feels off but I don’t know what to do about it or where it is coming from…” I get told this all the time by founders who can’t pinpoint a specific issue in their business but they still feel...
What It Takes to Execute a Successful Company Turnaround
Peter Cuneo, former Marvel CEO, outlines a repeatable playbook for rescuing underperforming businesses. He stresses that cultural misalignment is often the hidden cause of failure and that diagnosing problems requires listening to insiders. Successful turnarounds hinge on assembling a decisive...
Master 1x1 Meetings: Turn Waste Into Impact
Are 1x1 meetings still relevant? Yes. 1 on 1 meetings are one of the most important tools you have as a manager. But most people get them dead wrong. Wasting so much time and money... With a calendar full of useless...
Targeted ICP and Funnel Turned Luck Into Predictable Revenue
Three months ago, a Make More Money student’s pipeline was referrals and luck. Last week, they sent me this message. They’re a solo developer specializing in Webflow. They did around $250K in revenue last year, but the model was brittle. Every...
How Analytics Shape NFL Team Building With Brandt Tilis
Brandt Tilis, executive vice president of Football Operations for the Carolina Panthers, appeared on a podcast to dissect how analytics shape NFL roster construction, draft strategy, and quarterback contract negotiations. He detailed the interplay between data models, traditional film review,...
Know When to Stop Fixing Unwilling Employees
You are a manager now. You cannot fix someone who does not want to be fixed. Know when to cut your losses. THE HARSH REALITY:
Replace Cascading OKRs with a Strategic Solar System
Don’t cascade OKRs. Build a Solar System Many teams cascade OKRs. But this often creates silos and false alignment. Wednesday 18 March 17:00 – 18:00 GMT Link: https://luma.com/cteiwnl4 In this session, you will learn: • Why cascading OKRs creates silos and false alignment • How the OKR...
Free Webinar | April 2: Why Most Businesses Stall — and How to Build One That Keeps Growing
Airbnb’s Chief Business Officer Dave Stephenson will host a free webinar on April 2, revealing why many companies experience growth bursts followed by stalls. Drawing on his experience steering Airbnb through an 80% revenue plunge, a landmark 2020 IPO, and its rise...
Stop Overworking the Easy, Prioritize Deep Work
Novice runners tend to go too hard on the easy days and too easy on the hard days. Same thing occurs in the office. We spend too much time, energy and effort on emails, meetings, etc. We don't block off enough...
How Prudent Capital Deployment Returned Quad to Profitability
Quad Graphics, the fourth‑largest North American printer, posted a $27 million net profit in 2025, reversing a $51 million loss from the prior year. The company slashed more than $700 million of debt, bringing total borrowings down to $308 million. It redirected capital spending...
Treat Discovery as a Service, Not a Blocker
Discovery isn't a phase in your process. It's a service you offer your organisation. Imagine you get a feature request from a stakeholder 😬 They want it built. "Just a small thing." Won't take long. Will be great. Most PMs respond with: • "No"...
Give Humans Credit, Boost Adoption Over Full Automation
thinking: products that help humans get credit for the work accomplished by agents they supervise in the enterprise will have better adoption than agentic solutions that do the work instead of humans. credit feeds ego, drives adoption...and accountability.
New York City’s Next Transportation Revolution Might Be on the Water
DutchX, a NYC‑based zero‑emission shipper, has cut delivery time from Brooklyn to Midtown West by two‑thirds by moving packages via ferry and cargo bikes instead of vans. The pilot uses Pier 70 as a water hub, eliminating bridge tolls, congestion pricing...
Salesforce Launches AI KPI Metric: The Agentic Work Unit
1/ A fascinating advance just happened in agentic work: We finally have the beginnings of real AI KPIs. @Salesforce just introduced the “Agentic Work Unit” (AWU). My take: This is bigger than it looks at first. 🤖📊 https://t.co/GHA4pW4k77
GenAI Startups Crash by Ignoring Token Cost Math
Most GenAI startups are scaling into bankruptcy and don't even know it. Not because of bad product. Not bad team. Not bad market. Because they never ran the token math. Here's how a single model choice can cost you $1M/month: ↓
I Led My Company's Move From Wall Street to Florida. Here's Why We Chose St. Petersburg Instead of Miami.
Webull, the fintech startup, moved its headquarters from Wall Street to St. Petersburg, Florida, purchasing a 150,000‑square‑foot building for $29.5 million. The relocation followed a city‑ranking process that prioritized business‑friendly policies, a robust talent pool, and high employee quality of life....
AI Flattening Organizations Threatens Traditional Middle Management
What happens to middle management when AI flattens your organization? https://t.co/mDJARBQNMZ #AI #management #business #technology #leadership
Performance Now Measured by Weekly Surface Area Growth
The way we measure performance is changing. Now, it's how much is each person's surface area growing week over week? This will be the biggest challenge for people and managers. How are you measuring your team's output right now?
Supplier Management as a Continuous Signal
The article argues that traditional supplier management—treating suppliers as static records after onboarding—fails in modern procure-to-pay (P2P) environments with thousands of suppliers and dynamic risk profiles. It advocates a continuous‑signal approach where supplier data is constantly enriched by transactional evidence...
Prioritize End‑to‑End Process Redesign Over Quick Automation
Rushing S/4HANA implementation? Automating old processes speeds things up now but costs more long-term. Focus on end-to-end process improvement for real benefits, not just faster old ways. #S4HANA #SAP #DigitalTransformation https://t.co/ivIup3tf3s
Ask for Decision Steps, Not Vague Processes
Never ask: "What's your decision-making process?" Instead ask: "What steps does your company need to take to make a confident yes or no decision?" Same intent. Completely different depth of response. Then DON'T take their answer at face value.
Q & A: Ben Collier, Co-Founder, Ocasta
Ben Collier, co‑founder of Ocasta, describes a frontline operations platform that unifies communications, task management, knowledge, inspections, and coaching to eliminate guesswork for retailers. Built around real‑world store moments rather than head‑office assumptions, the system provides instant task tracking, photo...
Simple Free Hacks: Stop Scrolling, Start Focusing
“I can’t focus for long periods of time.” Notifications off: Free Close extra tabs: Free 45-minute timer: Free One task at a time: Free Hans Zimmer music: Free Phone in another room: Free How about you stop scrolling and start working?
Blind Spots: Organizations Miss External Warning Signs
“Some orgs. are sailing along happily, not realizing that some woes are around the corner—despite warning signs that are clear to people outside. People inside the org. are unable to smell the rotting fish for all sorts of reasons.” 🔎 https://t.co/TR9SgSUXwm #changemanagement https://t.co/rMByOhtuHz
How to Manage Your Manager (And Why It Matters More Than Your Performance)
The article argues that excelling at your job is merely the entry ticket; true career acceleration hinges on how you manage the relationship with your manager. It dismisses superficial flattery, framing manager‑management as a strategic skill that shapes workload, development...
How Smart and Driven Managers Fail
Smart, driven managers often stumble not from lacking skill but from over‑emphasizing functional performance while neglecting relationships. Their speed, micromanagement and lone‑wolf style can alienate colleagues, erode psychological safety, and increase burnout risk. The article’s Emma case illustrates how confidence...
Aderant Adds AI-Powered Performance Evaluation Tools to Its Vi Talent Management Suite
Aderant, the Atlanta‑based provider of law‑firm business management software, has integrated AI‑driven features into its vi by Aderant talent‑management suite. The new capabilities, embedded in viEval and viAllocate, include AI‑assisted performance evaluations, real‑time sentiment analysis of employee feedback, and automatic...
Before You Improve Your System Decide What Does Not Belong
The article argues that most leadership productivity systems start by refining existing workflows, but this approach often overlooks inherited tasks that no longer serve current goals. Before adding new tools or processes, leaders should first identify and remove work that...
IT Process Automation: Definition, Tools, and Use Cases
IT process automation (ITPA) uses software to orchestrate multi‑step IT workflows, eliminating manual tasks like password resets and data migrations. By linking systems across the tech stack, ITPA enables automated onboarding, ticket routing, infrastructure updates, and security compliance. Platforms such...
Diagram Requests in Reviews Eliminate 90% of Bugs
/plan-ceo-review and /plan-eng-review skills basically gets you 90% of the way to done most of the time the secret in plan-eng-review is that you can always ask for a diagram, and the act of creating the diagram (user flow, data flow,...
The Multifamily Operations Daily Huddle: Stability
Mike Brewer argues that stability, not constant change, fuels innovation in multifamily operations. When teams are mired in broken systems and unclear priorities, they focus on survival rather than creativity. Reliable core processes and clear expectations create psychological safety, giving...
Hershey Unveils Unified Operating Model and Leadership Reset to Accelerate Snacking Strategy
On March 17, 2026, The Hershey Company announced a strategic overhaul that consolidates its Sweet, Salty and Protein portfolios into a single U.S. commercial operating model. CEO Kirk Tanner said the move will enable the company to act faster on...
Trump Administration Moves to Reclassify 50,000 Federal Policy Workers, Cutting Job Protections
On March 18, 2026, the Trump administration announced a plan to reclassify up to 50,000 federal employees in policy‑influencing roles into a new “Schedule Policy/Career” category that would strip many civil‑service protections. The proposal, defended by OPM head Scott Kupor...
Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump Administration’s $3 Trillion Funding Freeze
On March 16, 2025, a three‑judge panel of the Boston‑based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld a district‑court injunction that stopped the Trump administration’s categorical freeze on roughly $3 trillion in federal financial assistance. The ruling, favored by Democratic...