Visionary Strategist — able to see what isn’t yet true and how it can become so.
My infectious curiosity and willingness to communicate and engage people in creative ways make me effective at sharing my vivid strategic imagination — and awakening it in others.
My practice reliably creates a more strategic culture — the kind of organization that buzzes with purposeful, energetic engagement. The kind of organization people dream of working in.
There are five recurring aspects to my work. Nurturing strategic imagination in others. Developing active, aligned foresight — among leaders, across an organization, and with stakeholders. Harnessing the superhuman power of narrative. Converting foresight into action. Protecting enduring beliefs in a world of constant change.
Mostly my work is as an adjunct member of leadership teams in some of the most successful and respected organizations — regional, national, and global.
Like Bucky Fuller, I think I am a verb. What energizes me is closing the gap between what exists and what should.
All my experience has been an education in being a change agent. The recurring lesson has been that experiences are what reshape people.
The pages ahead are a glimpse into some of the experiences I’ve created — converting strategy into transformative space, engagement, and lexicon.
The difference I want to make next is different: Less corporate, more community. Less business sector, more social.
Nurturing Strategic Imagination in Others
My strategic practice is built on the belief that all leaders should be curators, actively distilling broad perspective into learning experiences for others.
More than hyperbole, I’ve developed tools, created pop-up environments, and organized curious, learning communities that nurture imagination.
These tools work across personal, team and community scales.
Personal
Brain Food pulls from various books, articles and reports to push open people’s perspective.
Community
TEDxAtlanta is an example of creating curious learning through “brain spa” experiences at the scale of community.
Team
The outside-the-box room — created for Newell — is an example of creating environments that spur imagination and deeper dialogue.
Developing Active, Aligned Foresight
Sparking strategic imagination changes people’s relationship with the future. When teams collectively map the future, the entire organization begins to see greater possibilities and paths to act on what matters.
In my work with FedEx, we co-created a map of the evident and emerging trends reshaping their business. Initially used by the exec team, it was later used in global all-management meetings and drove team planning.
Harnessing the Superhuman Power of Narrative
Organizations have a narrative, whether they consciously author it or not. For a culture to become strategic, its narrative has to make the organization’s role and relevance part of people’s everyday lived experience.
Too often, strategy is only a document or PowerPoint. Instead, I’ve always tried to make the strategy part of the environment — to make strategy an immersive experience.
I worked with Neville Isdell, Glenn Jordan, and many others across The Coca-Cola Company on developing Manifesto for Growth, a comprehensive transformation into the better company TCCC knew itself to be. The MFG booklet is a coveted artifact , and this particular page is among work
I’m proudest of, because it is a rare example of true corporate vulnerability.
Infusing Narrative with Strategy.
Organizations have a narrative, whether they consciously author it or not. For a culture to become strategic, its narrative must make the organization’s role and relevance part of people’s everyday lived experience.
The culture of WhiteWave Foods Company — creators of the first national organic brands — was trapped by the belief that natural and organic companies had to be small to be authentic. Earth’s Favorite Food Company and Changing the way the world eats for the better were anthemic phrases that freed people to pursue the company’s highest intentions.
Converting Foresight Into Action
Cultural energy is exciting but only becomes effective when converted into coordinated change in behaviors and actions. The output can be polished but the process of redesigning what we do is hands-on and dialogic, producing something beyond debate or status quo.
Every function and facility of WhiteWave went through a facilitated process, producing nested plans for how the organization would pursue its purposeful goals.
With my team, I ran these types of sessions with FedEx during All Management Meetings with 1,600+ leaders from around the globe.
My team and I also designed and facilitated these sessions for Atlanta Regional Commission, as a part of resetting the narrative and culture of ARC.
Enduring Beliefs in a World of Constant Change.
Making a culture strategic doesn’t mean it should lack enduring beliefs and ideas.
Acquisitions have been a key part of the FedEx growth strategy — but at times they’ve taken a toll on the culture.
Working with FedEx’s founder, Fred Smith, I developed the Purple Promise — a commitment to make every FedEx experience outstanding. It is a bedrock element of the FedEx culture.
You’ll rarely see Fred speak without him mentioning the Purple Promise.
And, you can ask any FedEx delivery person and they’ll be able to tell you about it.
