From the newsfeed:”The proliferation of AI has led to a growing “faux-expert” crisis, allowing those with little actual leadership skills to gain influence through AI-generated insights and polished narratives” (John Winsor, the founder and chairman of Open Assembly)Yep, now we are competing with AI-infused personas. Predictable and unfortunate but hardly a crisis. Here’s the deal: Every one

How to Deal with the Faux Expert

… And Other Things the Gurus Won’t Tell YouTerms that rub a raw spot:”Irregardless””Outside the box”Labels (Millennial, Gen Z, Gen X, etc.)and the newest entry:”Clarity”Yes, I know, I use it, too.  But good grief, it is everywhere.  I now see this as a growing issue because it is used as an end state that, frankly,

Clarity Is a Journey, Not a Destination

How Collaboration Bias Is Quietly Killing Your Team’s Best DecisionsThe meeting was supposed to produce a decision. I was brought in to facilitate.One camp wanted harmony. One camp wanted answers. Everyone else just wanted to move on.A senior leader finally broke the silence: “Whatever the group thinks.”That should’ve been a red flag. Instead, it was

Everybody is Nodding – But Nobody is Aligned

More than 2 decades ago, one of my fave mentors suggested I start using Evernote as my “second brain”.  Initially, I used the basic features but when I started pondering all of the more advanced features, I scaled back my usage instead.  A year or so later, I returned to Evernote and embraced many of the advanced

The Evernote Effect: Why AI Adoption Follows a Pattern You’ve Seen Before

A field guide for CEOs who actually sign the checks You’re being sold AI like it’s oxygen. Every vendor, every consultant, every LinkedIn thought leader swears you’ll be obsolete by Tuesday if you don’t deploy their magical models immediately. Meanwhile, MIT just confirmed what you already suspected: 95% of enterprise AI pilots deliver exactly zero measurable business

When to Trust AI (and When to Run Like Hell)

Andrew Chen recently published a piece on unconventional business metrics that caught my attention. Among his examples – “Lies per Second” and “PowerPoints per Launch” -one metric stood out as particularly relevant to enterprise leaders: the Meetings per Decision Ratio. Chen describes the problem perfectly: “Why does it take so many meetings to make a decision?

Your Organization’s Decision Metrics Are Broke – Here’s How to Fix Them

Every founder eventually reaches the same quiet realization: “I’m working harder than ever, and the company is still resisting me.” This is not a motivation problem. It is a scaling problem. As we move into 2026, founders are facing compressed timelines, heavier cognitive load, and fewer margins for error. The question is no longer whether help is useful.

Should You Hire a Strategic Advisor in 2026?

The early AI era is over. Not because the technology stopped advancing – it hasn’t. Not because the hype died down – it didn’t. But because the nature of competitive advantage has fundamentally shifted, and most organizations are still playing the wrong game. For the past two years, the race was about adoption. Who could move fastest?

AI’s Institutional Phase Has Begun – And Most Leaders Still Think They’re in the Adoption Era

Intro:Unplanned events expose leaders to response leadership challenges that textbooks don’t prepare you for. Whether you’re running a county EOC, leading a corporate crisis team, or sitting in Unified Command, the pressure is real and decisions can’t wait.Here are the ten most common response leadership challenges and practical strategies for overcoming them. These are the

The 10 Biggest Response Leadership Challenges (and How to Solve Them)

You’ve seen the teams. You’ve watched the dogs work. And maybe you’ve even wondered if your dog – and your commitment – could be part of something bigger.If you’re exploring how to get started in K9 Search and Rescue (SAR), the good news is: there’s a clear path forward.The challenge?Most people waste time chasing fragmented

How to Get Started in K9 Search and Rescue (Without Wasting Time or Money)