Almost completed my fifth loop. This observation is rock solid. Truly nothing new under the sun.

Almost always the case after a merger or acquisition in the private business sector.

“I am often asked by would-be entrepreneurs seeking escape from life within huge corporate structures, ‘How do I build a small firm for myself?’ The answer seems obvious: Buy a very large one and just wait.” Paul Ormerod, quoted in Tom Peters book Excellence

If we use some mental models for a long time it's time to confront them if still relevant.

"Strategic thinkers see differently from other people; they pick out the precious gems that others miss, paint their own pictures, challenge conventional wisdom—and thereby differentiate their organizations." Henry Mintzberg

Hallelujah! Now, to convince those clever ex-consultant CEO’s about this…

As far as I can see (from a brief scan) ‘Quantum Leadership’ appears to be the usual self-help psychobabble platitudes wrapped up in faux Buddhism with the inauthentic use of badly understood science used to create a trendy label. Anyone know anything serious on the subject?

The average consultant-turned-CEO's favourite playbook.

One the best Cynefin stories of recent times. medium.com/agiledrive/fro…

Why do we tolerate this? Why do we allow narcissists with credentials, posing as leaders, to bring down so many of our institutions? Souls need fixing all right. #leadership mintzberg.org/blog/managing-…

I posted a few of Deming's "14 points" (from "Out of the Crisis"; 1982) the other day. Pretty much all of these are relevant today in every software organization. Let's look at the whole list 👇 1/18

TO KILL A COMPANY IN FIVE EASY STEPS: #2 Ignore its past—history, culture, strategy and structure. Bring in a whole new “top team” to measure like mad (while spouting nonsense like “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”) #leadership #management mintzberg.org/blog/five-easy…

Love this part: "...There is one prime strategist, and that person is the chief executive officer. Other managers may participate, and planners provide support, while consultants offer advice (sometimes they even offer the strategy itself—but don’t tell anybody)."

Bringing back some of my old KM work on how you link silos rather than trying to abolish them - links to methods and articles for the main content thecynefin.co/the-importance…

Step 2 is a big killer: "Ignore the company’s past—history, culture, strategy and structure. Bring in a whole new “top team”, beholden to you, who, not knowing the place or the industry, will measure like mad..."

."The transformation business is past its peak and the debris of its passing is becoming more evident every day."

The real reason strategy implementation fails: hbr.org/2017/11/many-s…

Hot take: If you’ve been put on a PIP, the best course of action is not to try to improve. It’s to find another job.

NEW LONG FORM VIDEO: The rise and fall of Nike Back in 2017, Nike made a decision that would eventually wipe out more than $100 billion in market value. The company walked into the offices of hundreds, if not thousands, of longtime retail partners, companies like Zappos, DSW,