The Corner Office

CEO Blog

  • Are You Focused on the Wrong Things as a Mid-Market CEO?

    #4: The Silent Killer of Growth — Misalignment A mid-market CEO once told me, “We’re moving too slowly. Execution feels stuck.” On the surface, it sounded like a strategy or operations problem. But as I dug in, I discovered the real issue: the company wasn’t aligned. Each leader had their own priorities. Culture was described

  • Are You Focused on the Wrong Things as a Mid-Market CEO?

    #3: Your Vision Isn’t Clear Enough High turnover. Low engagement. Leaders working hard—but not on the right things. These are symptoms of a deeper issue: lack of Vision Clarity. Without a compelling vision, execution scatters, culture drifts, and growth leaks value every day. The Enterprise Value Impact Companies with clear vision grow 58% faster, achieve

  • Are You Focused on the Wrong Things as a Mid-Market CEO?

    #2: Your First Team Doesn’t Work Like One You walk into executive team meetings expecting alignment—and instead get polite updates, turf wars, and half-hearted consensus. That’s not a First Team. That’s a group of silo leaders pulling in different directions. And when your First Team fractures, execution fragments. Growth bottlenecks. Enterprise value erodes. The Enterprise

  • 6 Signs You’re Focused on the Wrong Things as a Mid-Market CEO?

    #1: You’re Stuck In the Business—Not Leading On the Business Leading a mid-market company is exhilarating—and exhausting. But here’s the hard truth: when you spend most of your time in tactical meetings, operational firefighting, and decision fatigue, you’re not leading—you’re surviving. And survival mode leaks value. Productivity slows. Strategic bets stall. Leaders disengage. The Enterprise

  • 6 Steps to Building a BOLD 2029 Plan for Growth

    I was with a mid-market CEO recently who said: “Every year our planning feels like a financial exercise. We sit around the table, tweak the budget, and call it strategy.” That’s not strategy. And it’s not how you build enterprise value. If you want to grow with intention, your plan for 2029 — and your

  • 10 Strategic Questions Every CEO Should Ask to Prepare for 2026

    A CEO told me recently: “We always end the year with good intentions, but by the time we finalize our plan, Q1 is already slipping away. We spend more time catching up than leading.” That’s the danger of waiting too long. If you want to create enterprise value in 2026, you can’t afford to coast

  • Why You Need to Start Planning for 2026 Now

    A CEO I work with once told me: “Every December, we scramble to finalize next year’s plan, and by the time it’s ready, Q1 is already half over.” The result? Teams reacting instead of executing. Opportunities missed. Growth stalled. That’s the danger of waiting too long to plan. If you want to hit the ground

  • The Right Insight at the Right Time Can Save You Millions

    (Just Ask the CEO Who Did) Strategy isn’t just about vision. It’s about making informed decisions—where to double down, where to expand, and, just as critically, where not to go. One of the most overlooked competitive advantages in business today isn’t technology, talent, or capital. It’s insight. Real, unfiltered insight from your customers, employees, and

  • Kickstart Your Strategic Planning Process for 2026: Lead with Vision, Not Just Goals

    You’re well into the third quarter. Urgent priorities are piling up, the year-end is coming fast—and yet, the most powerful thing you can do right now has nothing to do with finishing this year strong. It has everything to do with shaping what’s next. Because 2026 won’t wait, and great CEOs know that the seeds

  • Is Your Organization Ready for 2026? Why CEOs Must Elevate Talent Strategy—Now

    You’re already planning for 2026—setting growth targets, sharpening your strategy, and aligning the organization to what’s next. But here’s the real question: Do you have the right people in place to get you there? Many CEOs claim that “talent is our #1 priority.” But far fewer are putting in the work to prove it. And