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When Good News Becomes a Business Risk: How Falling Crime Can Disrupt Your Strategy

A Shift Few Leaders Expect

Falling crime rates are usually celebrated as a sign of progress. Safer communities, stronger economies, and a brighter future—what’s not to like? Yet for business leaders, this kind of change can also be profoundly disruptive. If your company has been operating for decades in an environment shaped by insecurity, what happens when that reality suddenly shifts?

Jamaica offers a striking example. For years, high levels of violence defined everyday life and business practices. Many firms adapted, building their operations on an assumption of danger. Now, crime is falling. If this trend proves durable, the very foundations of corporate strategy in the country could be shaken.

The same dynamic applies globally. Whether it’s crime, inflation, regulation, or even cultural norms, long-standing conditions shape business models. When those conditions change, the leaders who cling to old assumptions often suffer the most.

Beyond Skepticism: Could the Change Be Real?

History encourages caution. In Jamaica, crime dipped after the 2010 “Dudus crackdown,” when nearly a hundred criminals were eliminated or fled. The effect was temporary; crime rebounded. Understandably, leaders today hesitate to celebrate.

But current indicators suggest something different. The Citizens Security Plan (CSP), launched in 2020, has applied coordinated interventions across policing, communities, and schools. These are not random shifts but measurable, systemic efforts. According to Dianne McIntosh of the Citizens Security Secretariat (CSS), the downward trend was predicted and intentional, not accidental.

If this approach is sustainable, Jamaica may be entering a new era. For business leaders, that requires more than casual observation—it demands strategic reconsideration.

When Old Assumptions Become Dangerous

Executives often claim to have “a long-term plan.” Sometimes it exists only in their heads; other times it’s reduced to lofty mission statements. But when tested, many leadership teams struggle to articulate a coherent strategy. That’s manageable when conditions remain stable. It’s perilous when they change.

Falling crime isn’t just a social good—it’s an economic shock. Studies suggest that Jamaica’s high crime rate has shaved 2–4% off annual GDP growth. If that burden is lifted, the economy could expand in ways that reward some sectors while destabilizing others.

Consider Colombia. Between 2002 and 2010, murders and kidnappings plummeted. While the country as a whole benefited, one sector suffered: private security. With half a million armed guards—more than the army and police combined—the industry had thrived on fear. When violence declined, demand collapsed. Firms that assumed the old reality would last indefinitely faced sudden disruption.

The same could happen anywhere. Companies built on entrenched conditions may discover that their core business model no longer fits.

Lessons from a Pandemic Surprise

This pattern isn’t limited to crime. In 2017, a financial services client dismissed the idea that their country was ready for online banking. They imagined digital adoption as a distant event.

In discussions, I encouraged them to carve out an actual timeline: a 10-year goal. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Overnight, physical branches closed, and the digital future arrived.

Fortunately, the company had at least sketched out a plan. They accelerated it, shifting in months what they thought would take a decade. Those without foresight were left scrambling.

The lesson is clear: change rarely arrives on schedule. Leaders who prepare for disruption—whether it comes from crime rates, technology, or global crises—are positioned to adapt. Those who rely on yesterday’s success become their own worst enemy.

Why Foresight Matters Now

Harvard professor Clay Christensen once observed that organizations grow addicted to what made them successful. They defend the familiar rather than exploring the new. This is comforting but risky.

If crime falls sustainably, a country like Jamaica will experience profound change. Real estate values could climb. Tourism could expand. Consumer confidence could rise. Yet industries tied to fear—private security, certain insurance products, or defensive real estate designs—may shrink.

Globally, the principle is the same: whenever a long-standing challenge begins to ease, leaders must ask, what happens to us if the world really does change?

Turning Good News into Strategic Advantage

Falling crime is an undeniable win for society. But for business leaders, it’s also a challenge. The question is not whether to celebrate, but whether to adapt.

Here are three steps to consider:

  1. Validate the Data
    Don’t rely on rumors or short-term headlines. Understand the leading indicators, the policies behind them, and whether the change is likely to last.
  2. Stress-Test Your Model
    Ask how your operations, costs, and markets would shift if the old assumptions disappeared. If your business relies on high levels of fear, inflation, or any entrenched condition, prepare alternatives.
  3. Rebuild Before You’re Forced To
    Waiting until the change is undeniable often means it’s too late. Instead, use foresight to redesign your company around the future that could emerge.

The Bottom Line

A safer society is a gift. But it is also a test of leadership. True foresight requires seeing risks where others see only triumph.

The companies that thrive will be those willing to let go of outdated assumptions and embrace a new normal—even when the news is good.

This article is based on a column I wrote for the Jamaica Gleaner published on Sep 14, 2025.

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Why Your Strategy Isn’t Inspiring Anyone (And How AI Can Fix It)

As a senior executive, you’ve probably felt the weight of expectation when it comes to inspiring your team. The board expects it. Your direct reports need it. But despite your best efforts—the carefully crafted presentations, the all-hands meetings, the motivational speeches—something isn’t working.

Your people seem disengaged. They nod politely during strategy sessions, but you can sense their minds wandering. The quarterly results suggest they’re just going through the motions rather than truly buying into your vision for the future.

Your first instinct might be to blame yourself. Maybe you need better presentation skills, more charisma, or additional leadership training. But before you sign up for another executive coaching program, consider this: the problem might not be you at all.

The Outdated Playbook

Most organizations still rely on industrial-age methods to communicate their strategic vision. The playbook hasn’t changed much in decades:

Step one: Leadership team crafts a comprehensive strategic plan during an off-site retreat.

Step two: Create a polished presentation and distribute lengthy PDF documents.

Step three: Hold a company-wide meeting where the CEO delivers an inspiring speech.

Step four: Trust middle managers to cascade the message down through their teams.

Step five: Hope the enthusiasm lasts more than a few weeks.

This approach assumes that inspiration works like a broadcast signal—send it out once, and everyone receives it clearly. But that’s not how human psychology works, especially in our current information-saturated environment.

Consider this reality check: the average employee finds more engagement in a one-minute Tik Tok video than in most hour-long corporate strategy presentations. This isn’t a reflection of shortened attention spans—it’s about relevance and interactivity.

Rethinking Employee Activation

Instead of trying to temporarily pump up your workforce, focus on creating what consultant Amie Devero calls “activated” employees. These are people who either genuinely care about your company’s future or have discovered how their personal aspirations align with organizational goals.

In most companies, roughly half the workforce falls into one of these categories naturally. They want to contribute meaningfully and grow professionally. The challenge is that traditional communication methods only effectively reach about 10% of non-executive staff members.

Why such a low connection rate? Most employees simply lack the background or time to digest complex strategic documents. Even when materials are well-written and intentions are good, the gap between executive thinking and front-line understanding remains vast.

When leaders notice this disconnect, they often make things worse by trying harder with the same failed methods. They speak louder, write longer documents, and add pressure on middle managers to better “sell” the message.

But what does a truly activated employee look like in practice?

They regularly reference the company vision when making decisions. They have genuine curiosity about strategic initiatives and how their work contributes. Most importantly, they feel connected to colleagues around shared purpose rather than just shared tasks.

The question becomes: how do you create this level of engagement systematically?

The AI-Powered Solution

Recent advances in artificial intelligence offer a completely different approach to vision and strategy communication. Large Language Models—sophisticated chatbots that can engage in natural conversation—have opened new possibilities for organizational learning.

More specifically, there’s a subset called Source Language Models that work exclusively with materials you provide. Think of it as creating a custom search engine that only knows about your company’s strategy documents, leadership videos, planning materials, and related content.

Unlike general-purpose AI that draws from the entire internet, these focused systems answer questions using only your uploaded materials. This means employees can have detailed, accurate conversations about your specific strategic vision without getting generic business advice.

The practical applications are remarkable. An employee wondering how their department fits into the five-year plan can get instant, detailed answers. Someone curious about market assumptions underlying your strategy can explore those topics in depth. A team member with ideas for improvement can understand exactly where their suggestions might fit.

Modern platforms can automatically generate supplementary materials from your core documents: podcast-style audio summaries for commuters, interactive quizzes to test understanding, visual mind maps showing strategic connections, and even video presentations that break down complex concepts.

Beyond Traditional Engagement

This AI-powered approach addresses several problems with conventional vision communication:

Personalized pacing: Instead of forcing everyone to absorb information at the same rate during meetings, people can explore strategic concepts at their own speed and depth.

Continuous availability: Rather than limiting strategic discussion to quarterly all-hands meetings, employees can engage with your vision whenever questions arise in their daily work.

Interactive learning: Instead of passive consumption of presentation slides, people can ask follow-up questions, explore specific areas of interest, and test their understanding.

Identifying blind spots: As employees interact with your strategic materials, they often surface insights that leadership teams miss. Front-line workers frequently spot emerging technologies, customer trends, or operational challenges that could reshape your industry.

When this happens at scale, you essentially gain access to a tireless strategy consultant who knows your business intimately and never sleeps. Your AI system becomes increasingly valuable as more employees engage with it, asking questions that reveal both strengths and gaps in your strategic thinking.

The Leadership Shift

This approach represents a fundamental shift in how we think about inspirational leadership. Instead of placing the entire burden on executives to be charismatic communicators, it creates systems that meet each person where they are.

Some employees learn best through detailed written analysis. Others prefer audio explanations during their commute. Still others need visual frameworks to understand complex relationships. An AI-powered system can serve all these learning styles simultaneously.

The result is genuine activation rather than temporary motivation. When people can explore your vision on their own terms, at their own pace, they develop deeper understanding and stronger commitment.

As a leader, this doesn’t diminish your role—it amplifies your impact. Instead of being limited by your personal bandwidth and communication style, you can reach every team member in ways that resonate with their individual needs and interests.

The future of vision communication isn’t about becoming a more inspiring speaker. It’s about creating more engaging, accessible, and interactive ways for people to connect with your company’s purpose, strategy and direction.

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Hard to engage staff on vision/strategy? Do it in your sleep with AI.

Tired of staff surveys on company vision and corporate strategy showing disengagement despite your best efforts? You’re not alone. Most leaders think they need to be more “motivational” – but that’s backwards.

The real breakthrough? Creating systems where people motivate themselves. And AI is making this easier than ever.

Join us for a short presentation where we’ll share real experiments from leaders who’ve transformed their strategy communication from painful struggle to effortless system.

You’ll discover why your current approach isn’t working and see a completely different way to inspire your team – one that works even if you’re not a natural motivational speaker.

Spoiler alert: this has to do with setting up systems that produce profound engagement with the help of AI.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Amie Devero

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe

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Hard to engage staff on vision/strategy? Do it in your sleep with AI.

Tired of staff surveys on company vision and corporate strategy showing disengagement despite your best efforts? You’re not alone. Most leaders think they need to be more “motivational” – but that’s backwards.

The real breakthrough? Creating systems where people motivate themselves. And AI is making this easier than ever.

Join us for a short presentation where we’ll share real experiments from leaders who’ve transformed their strategy communication from painful struggle to effortless system.

You’ll discover why your current approach isn’t working and see a completely different way to inspire your team – one that works even if you’re not a natural motivational speaker.

Spoiler alert: this has to do with setting up systems that produce profound engagement with the help of AI.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Amie Devero

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe

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Beyond the Boardroom: Giving Voice to Silent Stakeholders in Strategic Planning

When companies embrace long-term, aspirational strategic thinking, they often stumble upon a neglected truth: not all stakeholders have a voice. Some are silent—like the natural environment, social infrastructure, or even future generations. These sometimes non-human entities are easily overlooked because they don’t speak up, file lawsuits, or stage protests. Yet, their well-being may determine the future success or failure of your organization.

Consider the Hotelier’s Dilemma

Imagine you’re a hotel owner. Guests praise your beachfront property—drawn to the beauty, the warmth of the staff, and the authentic local culture. You enjoy a reputation built over decades, and visitors return annually, treating your resort like a second home.

But as you prepare for your next strategic planning retreat, the future doesn’t look quite as sunny. The once-pristine beach is eroding year by year. Crime in the nearby community is inching upward. Long-time guests are beginning to voice their concerns—some loudly. And deep down, you know they’re right.

These aren’t new problems. You’ve noticed the beach disappearing one foot at a time. The rising tension in the community isn’t news either. But like the proverbial frog in warming water, you’ve adapted, explaining it all away as “the cost of doing business.” Worse, your previous attempts to raise these concerns during past meetings were met with polite nods and quick pivots to more “urgent” topics.

Now, as your team embarks on a long-term strategy session—looking ahead 15, 20, even 30 years—you sense a chance. These issues can no longer be swept under the rug. But how do you surface them meaningfully, especially when they don’t fall neatly into traditional stakeholder categories?

Step 1: Rethink What a Stakeholder Is

In most boardrooms, a stakeholder is understood to be anyone with a vested interest in your company’s activities—customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, regulators. The common thread? They’re human, vocal, and often powerful.

But in the context of long-term strategy, that definition is limiting. It omits key players—those without voices—who nonetheless play a pivotal role in your enterprise’s future. These silent stakeholders might include:

  • A fragile ecosystem like a beach or watershed.
  • A vulnerable public utility or road network.
  • An endangered product ecosystem or supply chain.
  • A future executive team that hasn’t been born yet.

These stakeholders don’t show up in your inbox or on quarterly earnings calls, but ignoring them could cost your company everything.

Step 2: Understand the Nature of Silent Stakeholders

What makes these stakeholders “silent”? They don’t complain when mistreated. They don’t strike or picket. They may be conceptual, abstract, or not yet in existence. But their relevance to your organization’s future is profound.

Take that eroding beach. Today, it’s a scenic asset. Tomorrow, it could be the reason your tourism business collapses. Or consider the future leaders of your company. Today, they’re in primary school—or not even born. Yet your decisions now will shape the environment they inherit, including the problems they’ll be tasked with solving.

These aren’t philosophical musings. They are strategic realities. And recognizing them is the first step toward future-proofing your enterprise.

Step 3: Spot Silent Stakeholders in Real Time

It’s tempting to generate a list of silent stakeholders as a pre-work exercise. While useful, such lists are often constrained by the current thinking of participants. Instead, look for these stakeholders as you build your strategy.

One helpful tool comes from the Strategy Map framework by Robert Kaplan and David Norton. Traditionally, it includes a “customer perspective,” encouraging companies to view their operations through the eyes of customers. But you can go further. What if you considered how the strategy looks from the viewpoint of a future community member, a depleted aquifer, or a degraded coastline? Or even an abstraction like a supply chain or business ecosystem?

In sessions I’ve led, teams begin to see these non-traditional entities not as passive resources, but as active partners in a long-term relationship. A beach becomes more than a commodity—it’s a co-steward of your brand. A road system isn’t just infrastructure—it’s part of your delivery promise. A stable climate isn’t background noise—it’s foundational to your survival.

Step 4: Make the Strategic Case

Some executives will push back. “We can’t worry about what we can’t control,” they’ll say. But that’s a false dichotomy. You don’t need direct control to take action. Awareness and influence can be just as powerful.

To make the case, bring stories. Describe the hotelier who ignored the early signs of decay, only to face a PR and revenue crisis later. Highlight how failing to address today’s issues amounts to borrowing against the future—without consent.

Silent Stakeholders Are Strategic Stakeholders

Your company’s future doesn’t only depend on customers and cash flow. It hinges on the entities that can’t speak for themselves but whose health and presence are essential to your strategy. These silent stakeholders are often the canaries in the coal mine—overlooked until it’s too late.

As you engage in long-term planning, don’t wait for them to raise their voices. They never will. But their impact will be felt—whether you choose to listen or not.

Closing Thought
Silent stakeholders shape your future—whether a beach, a community, or unborn leaders. Ignoring them risks irreversible damage. Today’s strategy must speak for those who can’t. Will you listen before it’s too late?

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Ep 30 Implementation Issues | A Community’s Role in Strategic Change

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com

You are the champion of a long-term strategic plan. However, you understand some of the disciplines required to make strategic plans implementable – program management and change management.

But as you try to educate others on the importance of these disciplines you find yourself alone. They just don’t get it.

And if they continue to not understand it, the strategic plan could be a failure just because of the way it’s defined, and because it’s missing important perspectives.

Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Lisa Carlin from The TurboChargers, as we tackle and try to solve this wicked problem together.

Show Notes

In this episode, Francis Wade and Lisa Carlin discuss the complexities of long-term strategic planning, emphasizing the importance of change management and project management in ensuring successful strategy execution. They explore the disconnects often found in organizations between different stakeholders and the need for a collaborative approach to strategy development.

Lisa introduces her framework for effective strategy execution, which includes a focus on community and the integration of various perspectives. The conversation highlights the necessity of transforming strategy into actionable plans while maintaining a long-term vision amidst a rapidly changing environment.

* 2 day strategy execution bootcamp https://theturbochargers.com/strategy-execution-bootcamp/

* CEO Guide: Boost Your Productivity with AI Tools for Strategic Initiatives

* 5 Future Trends in Change Management

* Discover your capability for strategy execution and transformation. Calculate your free Transformation Success Score

* Subscribe to Turbocharge Weekly. Join over 7,000 business leaders and innovators are interested in accelerating their strategic projects with a Culture-Friendly approach.

* https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisacarlin/

* Turbocharge Hub, for frameworks, learning and community to reach your full potential as a change leader.

* The Turbochargers Website

* Lisa Carlin New YouTube channel

Here’s a 20-minute video excerpt.

To view the full video, see below the paywall, available with a subscription.

Posted on

Ep 30 Implementation Issues | A Community’s Role in Strategic Change

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com

You are the champion of a long-term strategic plan. However, you understand some of the disciplines required to make strategic plans implementable – program management and change management.

But as you try to educate others on the importance of these disciplines you find yourself alone. They just don’t get it.

And if they continue to not understand it, the strategic plan could be a failure just because of the way it’s defined, and because it’s missing important perspectives.

Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Lisa Carlin from The TurboChargers, as we tackle and try to solve this wicked problem together.

Show Notes

In this episode, Francis Wade and Lisa Carlin discuss the complexities of long-term strategic planning, emphasizing the importance of change management and project management in ensuring successful strategy execution. They explore the disconnects often found in organizations between different stakeholders and the need for a collaborative approach to strategy development.

Lisa introduces her framework for effective strategy execution, which includes a focus on community and the integration of various perspectives. The conversation highlights the necessity of transforming strategy into actionable plans while maintaining a long-term vision amidst a rapidly changing environment.

* 2 day strategy execution bootcamp https://theturbochargers.com/strategy-execution-bootcamp/

* CEO Guide: Boost Your Productivity with AI Tools for Strategic Initiatives

* 5 Future Trends in Change Management

* Discover your capability for strategy execution and transformation. Calculate your free Transformation Success Score

* Subscribe to Turbocharge Weekly. Join over 7,000 business leaders and innovators are interested in accelerating their strategic projects with a Culture-Friendly approach.

* https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisacarlin/

* Turbocharge Hub, for frameworks, learning and community to reach your full potential as a change leader.

* The Turbochargers Website

* Lisa Carlin New YouTube channel

Here’s a 20-minute video excerpt.

To view the full video, see below the paywall, available with a subscription.

Posted on

Tumultuous Times? Learn to Persuade Others to Think Decades Ahead

As a member of the C-suite with a commitment to long-term success, you may find yourself at odds with the culture around you.

You’ve come to realize that your role has subtly but fundamentally shifted. While others are chasing quarterly numbers, you’ve begun to see your job through a different lens: one of legacy-building. You’re being pulled into the future, tasked—whether formally or not—with the responsibility of stewarding the organisation across decades, not just financial years.

But here’s the challenge: how do you bring others along with you? How do you persuade a board of directors, fellow executives, investors, and employees to prioritize the long game in a world of short-term incentives?

This is not an easy undertaking. In fact, changing how leaders think about strategy is one of the most difficult challenges in any organisation—especially successful ones.

The Resistance You’ll Meet

Take a step back. The leaders around you didn’t get to the top by being slow or visionary. They were rewarded—often repeatedly—for producing immediate results. Many of them built careers by tackling crises, hitting aggressive targets, and outpacing competitors. To them, leadership is synonymous with rapid action and tangible wins.

So when you start talking about “the next decade” instead of “the next quarter,” expect to encounter skepticism—or worse, indifference. You’ll find yourself talking about long-term transformation to people whose reputations, bonuses, and egos are anchored in the short term.

Yet your instincts tell you that this moment demands something different. You’ve seen what happens to companies that delay the future. Think Netflix versus Blockbuster. Apple’s iPhone versus Nokia and Blackberry. You understand that anticipating and shaping what’s next is no longer optional—it’s essential for survival.

When the Future Becomes Your Responsibility

The strange thing is, you probably didn’t sign up for this. Most executives aren’t formally tasked with long-range planning. You may not have a title like “Chief Vision Officer” or “Head of Strategic Futures.” But somewhere along the line, the burden of long-term thinking has landed on your shoulders. You are the unofficial guardian of the future.

And while some rise to the challenge, others freeze. Some feel paralysed, unsure of how to move forward without formal authority or clarity. Others rationalize their inaction: “The world is changing too fast,” they say. “We need to stay agile, not idealistic.” Or, “We can’t focus on tomorrow when we’re struggling to meet payroll today.”

Those may sound like pragmatic statements—but left unchallenged, they become excuses that entrench short-termism and degrade strategic clarity.

You Might Be a Liability

Here’s a difficult truth: if you’ve seen the need for long-term strategy and choose not to act on it, you may be doing more harm than good.

Executives often see promotions as rewards for past performance. Some become preoccupied with proving they belong in the role. Others fall into the trap of “Imposter Syndrome,” second-guessing their right to think differently or challenge existing paradigms. And many double down on what worked in the past: more short-term execution, more urgency, more firefighting.

But that’s not what your organisation needs from you now.

Remember Kodak? At its height, it was a global juggernaut. But a failure to confront long-term realities cost it over US$31 billion in value and 128,000 jobs. The signs were there. What was missing was leadership willing to act on them.

Persuasion as a Strategic Skill

If you’re waiting to take a course or attend a strategy retreat before acting, think again. The pace of change means you can’t afford to disappear for even a day without consequence.

Instead, see persuasion itself as a mode of learning. Every time you initiate a courageous conversation with a colleague about the future, you sharpen your understanding. Use questions like:

  • “What’s the long-term impact of this decision?”
  • “What systemic issues are we failing to address?”
  • “What future trends are we not discussing?”
  • “What goals would inspire our stakeholders ten years from now?”
  • “Which breakthroughs are we ignoring because they don’t pay off this quarter?”

These questions are disarming. They don’t require formal authority. But they do require courage.

You’ll need to tailor your approach to your context—whether you’re in a multinational corporation, a government ministry, a non-profit, an educational institution, or a startup. The principles remain the same: be the voice of long-term thinking in rooms dominated by short-term pressure.

Building Fluency, Not Just Faith

You may wonder whether it’s enough to just champion long-termism and let your enthusiasm carry the message.

Unfortunately, no.

If you’re not fluent in the arguments and counterarguments, you’ll be vulnerable to professional naysayers—those who use sophisticated logic to resist change. They’re often well-respected, experienced, and deeply invested in the status quo. Without preparation, they will derail your meetings, stall your initiatives, and seed doubt in others.

So don’t stop at intuition. Build expertise. Study long-term successes and failures. Read case studies. Watch YouTube documentaries. Analyze how visionaries like Steve Jobs, Satya Nadella, or Zohran Mamdani frame the future in specific, compelling language. Study the language of leaders who inspire action across timeframes.

Becoming fluent allows you to do more than make a good point—it allows you to win the room.

Final Thought

No one is born with the ability to shift other minds from a focus on “this quarter” to “this decade.” It’s not a natural skill—it’s a deliberate one. But if you cultivate it, refine it, and use it consistently, you’ll help your organisation navigate the future with intention instead of reaction.

Otherwise, you risk remaining a hostage—trapped by the logic of short-term thinkers and the inertia of yesterday’s success.

Start the practice today. The future is waiting for your leadership.

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Strategy Communication to Staff: One-Way Message or Two-Way AI?

As a senior executive, one of your most crucial and delicate responsibilities is the communication of strategic plans to employees, board members, and key stakeholders. But how should you do it? Is it enough to share a dense, one-off report? Or can AI finally offer a way to transform this traditionally frustrating task into something more interactive and engaging?

Most leaders dread this stage of the strategy cycle. The excitement of a successful off-site retreat or board strategy session has passed. Now, the hard part begins: conveying the essence of the plan to those who weren’t in the room, yet are expected to bring it to life.

The conventional approach hasn’t changed much in decades. First, circulate a written document filled with bullet points, jargon, and long-term goals. Next, convene a town hall meeting, supported by a string of PowerPoint slides. Questions are few. Attention drifts. Finally, you pass the baton to middle managers to cascade the strategy to their teams, hoping they convey the message with clarity and enthusiasm. Often, they don’t. Miscommunication spreads. Employees receive mixed signals. Strategic alignment becomes a fantasy.

The result is predictable: confusion, disengagement, and inertia.

The Communication Gap

Why does this happen, even in well-managed companies?

Because strategy is inherently difficult to explain. Unlike routine business matters, it deals with the future—a future that is unpredictable and unknowable. Strategic thinking requires executives to rely on incomplete data, make educated bets, and reason through complex interdependencies.

Most employees, however, are trained to execute, not theorize. They want certainty. But strategy rarely offers it. It requires abstract thinking, conceptual frameworks, and trust in leadership judgment.

To compound the problem, many employees have no idea what the company’s strategy is. Surveys routinely show that a significant portion of the workforce cannot articulate their organisation’s strategic direction. That’s not because they lack intelligence, but because the way strategy is usually communicated makes it inaccessible.

The old approach—a top-down, one-way message—no longer suffices in a world where you are hiring for brains, not brawn. If your employees are going to make smart, real-time decisions that support the strategy, they need to understand the “why” behind the “what.”

From Monologue to Dialogue

Today’s leaders must embrace a new mindset: communication is not just about broadcasting; it’s about engagement. The onus is no longer on the employee to decipher a static report or passively sit through a presentation. Instead, it is the executive’s responsibility to foster understanding—to create conditions in which meaningful dialogue can occur.

Fortunately, advances in artificial intelligence offer new pathways. Specifically, large language models (LLMs) such as NotebookLM, a “Source Language Model,” can help transform strategy communication from a passive event into an interactive, personalised experience.

What Makes NotebookLM Different?

Unlike general-purpose AI tools that respond based on pre-trained knowledge, NotebookLM grounds its responses entirely in documents you upload. This means your actual strategy files—slide decks, board reports, workshop outputs—become the exclusive source of truth. The app processes your data, then allows users to interact with it intelligently.

Here’s how to use it.

  1. Upload your strategic materials. These could include the formal plan, background analyses, executive summaries, transcripts or even FAQs.
  2. Design prompt sets for different levels of strategic maturity:
    • Basic Prompts for new hires or employees unfamiliar with strategic planning. These focus on summaries, definitions, and the background story—ideal for onboarding or setting context.
    • Intermediate Prompts for general staff. These might explore implications, comparisons, and potential challenges in execution.
    • Advanced Prompts for experienced team members or high-potentials. These require synthesis across documents, evaluation of assumptions, or the generation of novel ideas based on strategic intent.

The goal is to provide each employee with an opportunity to interrogate the strategy at their own level. Because the responses are personalised and context-aware, employees engage with the material in a way that suits their curiosity, experience, and role.

Make It Playful and Challenging

To increase engagement, you can even add a layer of gamification. Frame the interaction around a scenario—for example, “Play the Devil’s Advocate.” Ask staff to identify potential flaws, contradictions, or unspoken assumptions. Give their inputs scores or feedback. Celebrate insightful critiques.

This simple, low-cost exercise can breathe life into a strategy document that would otherwise be skimmed or ignored. It empowers employees to participate in shaping strategic thinking, rather than being passive recipients of edicts from above.

A New Era of Strategic Engagement

We are entering an era where employees expect more than a memo or slide deck. They want to understand the company’s direction, contribute ideas, and be involved in shaping the future. AI tools like NotebookLM don’t just allow this—they encourage it.

For the first time, executives can enable a genuine two-way dialogue about strategy, at scale. They can foster a sense of ownership among staff who would otherwise feel excluded or overwhelmed.

The days of rolling out a strategic plan as a one-way monologue are over. Embrace a model that invites curiosity, fosters understanding, and deepens engagement. With the right tools and mindset, your strategy won’t just be communicated—it will be understood, internalised, and acted upon.

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Inspiration in Leadership | Anchor Your Message in a Compelling Future

As a leader—whether in politics or business—you want to inspire people. You want them to care, commit, and go above and beyond. But earning this level of engagement is difficult. In fact, it’s one of the most elusive challenges in leadership.

Inspiration, after all, isn’t automatic. It doesn’t come from holding a title or issuing commands. It’s something that must be carefully cultivated, often against the backdrop of public skepticism. That’s one reason why political campaigns, like Jamaica’s upcoming election cycle, can offer unexpected leadership lessons—if viewed through the right lens.

Today, many are disenchanted with politics. Voter turnout in Jamaica has declined steadily, echoing global trends that point to growing cynicism about leadership, institutions, and the future. And this problem isn’t confined to government. In the corporate world, executives also struggle to mobilize teams and customers around a vision—especially in environments marked by uncertainty, competition, and fatigue.

Ideally, leaders shouldn’t need to bribe, pressure, or manipulate people into action. Instead, they aim to win over hearts and minds so that others willingly contribute their discretionary time, energy, and creativity. That’s what genuine inspiration looks like—but it’s easier said than done.

Leaders, even well-intentioned ones, often destroy followership without realizing it. They lose focus, fail to articulate a compelling vision, or make careless remarks that erode trust. You’ve likely seen this happen—where someone in authority squanders goodwill with a single tone-deaf comment or decision.

Amidst this leadership crisis, I recently came across a video from Wavell Hinds, the former West Indies cricketer and now a political aspirant with Jamaica’s PNP. His short Facebook message, filmed at a deserted Sabina Park, offers a masterclass in communicating a purpose-driven future—one that transcends personal ambition or partisan gain.

Grounded in Painful Truths

Hinds begins with brutal honesty: West Indies cricket has declined. Once the pride of the Caribbean, it now commands little interest or passion. For many young Jamaicans, he argues, the game no longer holds any allure because they never grew up seeing it at its best.

Standing in an empty Sabina Park, once a symbol of cricketing greatness, he laments: “There’s silence, no noise, no matches, no drinks.” He speaks not just as a politician, but as someone who lived the dream—having represented the West Indies in 45 Test matches and winning a Champions Trophy.

His message is credible precisely because it’s personal. Cricket, he says, was a vehicle for his childhood ambitions. Now, he mourns what appears to be its slow death in the region’s consciousness.

Avoiding Cynicism and Cheap Shots

Yet despite the raw emotion, Hinds avoids the kind of toxic finger-pointing that dominates many political messages. Yes, he questions the current government’s commitment, criticizing superficial gestures like ribbon cuttings and photo ops. But his tone isn’t bitter. He doesn’t vilify.

“Where is the action once the lights and cameras are off?” he asks. The question lands—not because it attacks—but because it invites reflection.

This is instructive. Too often, leaders believe they must attack rivals in order to stand out. But in both politics and business, overemphasizing competition can alienate your audience. Customers don’t care who your competitors are. Employees don’t necessarily rally behind a “we beat them” mentality. And voters? They grow weary of petty battles.

The Power of a Shared Future

What people do care about is the future—and whether a leader has a credible, inclusive path to get there.

Hinds doesn’t merely lament the past or criticize the present. He paints a vision of what could be: a resurgence of West Indies cricket that unites generations and rekindles national pride. It’s not about winning the next match or the next election. It’s about anchoring today’s actions in a future worth striving toward.

For corporate leaders, this is an important lesson. It’s tempting to focus narrowly on market share, quarterly results, or outperforming the competition. But those goals rarely ignite passion. Instead, leaders must craft “probable futures”—like “Sustainable Manufacturing 2040” or “AI for Human Flourishing”—that spark hope and demand innovation.

People don’t follow leaders because they outperform the competition. They follow those who offer a bigger vision—one that includes them, stretches their imagination, and makes them feel part of something meaningful.

Become an Ambassador from the Future

Effective leaders speak and act as if they’ve already visited the future—and are now returning to guide us toward it. They describe what they’ve seen in vivid, practical terms. They acknowledge the obstacles, yes—but they also lay out a clear path forward.

This kind of visionary leadership is difficult. It can be lonely. But it’s also the most fulfilling and impactful kind of work.

So ask yourself: what future are you inviting others to help create? Are you giving them something worth committing to—not just because it benefits your organization, but because it matters to the wider world?

The takeaway is clear: whether you’re in the boardroom or on the campaign trail, being inspiring is hard. But when your message is grounded in truth and tied to a compelling, collective future, people will follow—not because they must, but because they choose to.