Dr Ali Monadjem's Linkedin Analytics

MIT's surprise finding on Radical Innovation: "Of the 15 management practices that were measured, the strength of informal internal networks — the relationships that employees form across functions and divisions to share knowledge and accomplish tasks — was the most strongly and significantly correlated with radical innovation commercial success." What are the best ways to build your internal network? #innovation #leaders

How do you balance strategy and tactics? "Strategy is about shaping the future. Tactics are about winning today." - Max McKeown Surprising: ➡️ Only 1 in 10 firms can successfully execute their strategy. (HBR) ➡️ Firms focused on long-term vs. short-term strategy outperform. (McKinsey) ➡️ Average life of an S&P 500 firm is now 20 years, down from 30 years in the 1960s. (S&P Dow Jones Indices) Key takeaways: ✅ Don't get lost in the weeds of tactics. It's important to keep your eye on the big picture and ensure your tactics align with your long-term strategy. ✅ Be flexible and adaptable. The world is constantly changing, so your strategy and tactics need to be able to evolve as well. ✅ Communicate your strategy and tactics to your team. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. How do you balance strategy and tactics? #strategy #execution #results #leadership #ceos

Am I a good listener? I'm not so sure... It seems active listening is just the beginning. Then? Matt Abrahams' Stanford GSB podcast just reminded me of one underrated, super-simple, almost silly, aspect of communication: Paraphrasing. "Paraphrasing is not simply repeating what someone says but rather capturing the essence of their message." In a world of information overload, where our attention spans are perpetually divided, truly grasping someone’s point can make all the difference. It's not just about understanding - can you decode the underlying sentiment. Many of us are guilty of 'passive listening', where we only skim the surface of a conversation. This is where paraphrasing is valuable. It: ✅ Validates the speaker ✅ Clarifies you're on the same page ✅ Focuses everyone’s attention on the key issue ✅ Gives you that much-needed time to think/reflect ✅ Gets the conversation back on course Paraphrasing can be your anchor, bringing back focus. As Abrahams states, it’s the "most polite way to interrupt" and steer the dialogue. 😂 As simple as it may seem, actively listening AND accurately paraphrasing is a skill, and its mastery can bring about transformative results in both our professional and personal spheres. What listening best practices have the best leaders around you demonstrated?

Simple, yet profound statement on psychological safety. "Brains don’t function well in a threat state, and a lack of psychological safety puts us into that threat state." Amy Edmondson, HBS Professor Source: https://buff.ly/tqzjTJs #business #leadership #management #ceo #psychology #harvard

Is it better to build solo or as a team? Reid Hoffman sits on one side of this fence - do you agree? #leadership #management #teamwork #teams

Is strategy pointless or powerful? Which is it? Without strategy, execution is aimless. Without execution, strategy is useless. These two sides of the same coin are vital. Put simply, strategy is a course of action designed to achieve a goal; it provides a roadmap for how to get from where you are today ("as is") to where you want to be in future ("to be"). Execution is then the process of putting your strategy into action, implementing plans and making sure that you are on track to achieve your goals. Both strategy and execution are essential for success. Without a strategy, you will not know where you are going or how to get there. Without execution, your strategy will remain just a plan on paper. Here are some tips for developing and executing a successful strategy: ✅ Define your goals. What do you want to achieve? Be as SMART as possible. ✅ Analyze your situation. What are your strengths? What opportunities do you see? ✅ Develop a strategy. Include a clear plan of action for how you will achieve your goals. ✅ Execute your strategy. The rubber hits the road. Track progress; and make adjustments. Here are some common mistakes to avoid: ✅ Not having a clearly articulated strategy. ✅ Not tracking your progress to make sure you're on track. ✅ Not being flexible when things don't go according to plan. ✅ Focusing too much on strategy and not enough on execution. What points would you add or refine? #strategy @implementation #management #leadership #ceos

"Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage." Professionally and personally. Where would an extra dose of courage be useful?

How long does it take your team to make decisions? Netflix's leaders were explicit that they wanted the company's decisions to be 70% data-driven and 30% judgment-driven. Instead of a long decision process, "we try to work in such a way that we can make a decision, see if it's a good one, and then adjust". Reid Hastings likens the process of cultural evolution to the way that species evolve: those that are most fit for their environment are the ones that thrive. It’s about setting the right norms, not rigid rules. How do you increase decision making speed? #leadership #management #innovation

Are you guilty of "strategy by accident"? "People allocate resources all the time in organizations. Whether it's their time, money, or attention. And that means they're all participating in strategy Whether they know it or not." Good strategy is made up of 2 parts: 1) Assumptions: Which need to "hold" And 2) Actions: which need to logically follow from your assumptions. Strategy is about making hard choices under uncertainty. Which do you see more often: deliberate or accidental strategy? Source: Jesper Sørensen, Stanford Seed Director and Professor. #business #leadership #management #ceo #strategy #stanford

Can "wasted inefficiency" be more efficient than "ruthless efficiency"? 🤔 "Employees, it seems, are often more productive when their managers show care, when they’re willing to “waste” time chatting, listening and offering support." "Some workplaces report that giving staff a day off each week but still paying them the same improves the bottom line." These “inefficiencies” might be ineffective on any given day or in any given moment, but they can generate far greater value over time – better health, closer personal relationships, and perhaps most importantly, more discretionary effort. "Ruthless efficiency can cost us insight, innovation, inspiration and joy... the patient treated as a problem to be solved might feel sicker." Which side do you land on this question?

Trust is a fragile topic for leaders. Good leaders use two elements. Better leaders use three. The Best Leaders use four. Know them? Here they are... 👇🏻 1️⃣ Good leaders have Credibility: they have experience. They look the part. 2️⃣ Good leaders also have Reliability: they deliver. Even when the going gets tough. 3️⃣ Better leaders ALSO look at Intimacy: they build relationships. They understand their teams' challenges and enable them to deliver in life's context. 4️⃣ The Best Leaders keep their selfishness in check. They manage their Self-orientation and focus on you. On others. Not just themselves. I find, it's not just about being the best professional with "hard skills" (1️⃣ + 2️⃣), especially if you don't build relationships or consider others with "soft skills" (3️⃣ + 4️⃣). Which of these elements build the most trust for you?

Is a CEO is just a puppet master? 🤔 Perhaps it's the CFO and CHRO who hold the real "strings"? Take a look at McKinsey's "G3" of an organization. 👇🏻 CEO: sets strategy 🎯 CFO: manages money 💰 CHRO: positions people 🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Three critical roles to synchronize for your business to succeed. Make sure these are working well together. Are you a 🎯 CEO, 💰 CFO, or 🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏻 CHRO trying to make your G3 work? Any tips and tricks that work?

"Strategy without culture is brittle. Strategy without culture will not win. You have to have both. Culture eats strategy for breakfast." - Mark Fields Surprising: ➡️ 70% of employees say that firm culture is very important to them when deciding where to work. (Source: Glassdoor) ➡️ Companies with a strong culture have a 17% higher return on assets than those with a weak culture. (Source: Glassdoor) ➡️ Companies with a strong culture are more than twice as likely to have high employee engagement. (Source: Gallup) Takeaways: ✅ Make culture a top priority. Culture is not just something that happens, it needs to be intentionally created and nurtured. ✅ Align your culture with your strategy. Your culture should support your strategy and help you to achieve your goals. ✅ Empower your employees to live your culture. Give your employees the tools and resources to live your culture and be their best selves at work. Tips: ✅ Be authentic. Your culture should be a reflection of your company's values and beliefs. ✅ Be inclusive. Create a culture where everyone feels welcome and respected. ✅ Be consistent. Your culture should be evident in everything you do, from your hiring practices to your customer service. Is strategy or culture more important to you? Why? #strategy #culture #management #leadership #ceos

Is strategy "simple"? Perhaps, but not TOO simple. Most smart professionals get this wrong. Simple strategy: 1. Naive (Dunning-Kruger-style) 2. Does not deal with ambiguities 3. Ignores what data is saying 4. Ignores conflicting views 5. Ignores the customer Simple (but good) strategy: 1. Look at the data not purely linearly 2. Deals with complexity and ambiguity 3. Addresses conflicts and counterpoints 4. Gathers and considers points of view 5. Provides clarity BEYOND complexity As Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr said 100+ years ago: I would not give a fig For the simplicity this side of complexity But I would give my life For the simplicity on the other side of complexity. What do you think? Is simple strategy "good"? What is "good strategy" to you? #business #leadership #management #ceo #strategy

Leaders MUST drive psychological safety. "You have to be willing to ask open-ended questions where you don’t know what the answer’s going to be, and be comfortable with the pause, the silence that may follow, because that silence is often where people are doing some of their hardest work." Amy Edmondson, HBS Professor Great quote! What "work" are you thinking of most in your silences? Source: https://buff.ly/PHRfHLR #business #leadership #management #ceo #psychology #harvard

MIT research found that high-performing teams shared *three* characteristics: 1. A higher degree of social sensitivity 2. Equal time contributions from all members 3. More women 🤔 Is the last one controversial? As a firm believer in equality, I like it. As a husband, and father to two powerful daughters, I love it! "Some groups do better than others, but what's key to that is their social connectedness to each other." What do you think? Which of these is most important to you? Other factors? Source: Margaret Heffernan's TED Talk on Superchickens

Team culture: "know-it-all" or "learn-it-all"? Which do you want to be? MIT's "Geek Way" fosters a culture of continuous learning and collaboration. Use it to: 1. Embrace Evidence-Based Decisions: Focus on data-driven discussions, not hierarchy or charisma. 2. Foster Ownership: Delegate decisions to empower team members and reduce bureaucracy. 3. Prioritize Speed: Accelerate iteration cycles for quicker learning and adaptation. 4. Cultivate Openness: Encourage transparency, admit mistakes, and be open to pivoting. 5. Activate Cooperation: Focus on team dynamics and collective learning to innovate faster. A "geek" isn't necessarily someone who writes code but rather anyone who gets "obsessed with a hard problem" and is open to solutions that might be seen as unconventional. Successful "geeks" create an environment where people at the "top" can be challenged. For example, Reed Hastings at Netflix has created a corporate culture where people can speak up, even if it means correcting the CEO. What does being a "Geek" mean to you? Any examples of great "Geekiness"? #business #leadership #management #innovation

"Strategy is about thinking big. Execution is about thinking small." - Jeff Bezos Surprising findings about strategic execution: ➡️ Only 2% of leaders think their org will achieve 80%+ of strategic goals. ➡️ Firms see 3x more goals completed after 15+ months of focusing on execution. ➡️ Companies with higher eNPS complete +45% goals each month than lower eNPS. ➡️ Teams that have daily or weekly huddles complete +60% goals than those that don't. Key takeaways: ✅ Think big strategically, but execute small. Set ambitious goals, but break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks. ✅ Focus on the details. Pay attention to the details when executing your strategy, as small nuances can make a big difference in the end result. ✅ Be flexible. Things don't always go according to plan, so be prepared to adjust your strategy as needed. ✅ Communicate effectively and keep your team aligned. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. ✅ Measure your progress and make adjustments as needed. This will help to ensure that you are on track to achieve your goals. By following these tips, you can increase your chances of success in executing your strategy faithfully. What are the best examples you've found of bringing strategy and execution together? #strategy #execution #results #leadership #ceos Source: Aligntoday.com

Great CEO's are LAZY. Yes? Do you agree? Five key roles CEO's play: LEARNER - great CEO's don't have all the answers. They keep learning. They listen carefully. ARCHITECT - improve business model. Planning. Thinking. Plotting strategy. COACH - think about improving talent. Divest of underperformers. ENGINEER - drive functional and systematic improvement. PLAYER - dip into key areas, to keep in touch and learn. Spend too much time wearing a single hat and you'll suffer "busyness". Balancing these five "hats" well can multiply your impact. Which role are you spending most of your time on? Source: Great CEO's are Lazy, by Jim Schleckser #CEOs #leadership #leaders #management #managers

Strategy is quite "useless". Many CEO's often use stronger language. And they’re actually 100% right; most of the time. From what I've seen, strategy is useless when it’s: 1. Fluffy statements without connection to reality on the ground 2. Half-thought-out bullets in a presentation (Edward Tufte's bugbear!) 3. A detailed roadmap with forced assumptions and rigidity In fact, many great professionals avoid the stigma of "strategy" and prefer, an "approach", "blueprint", 'game plan", "way forward", or “six-page memo”. Not sure this changes it substantively, however. Strategy is useful if it’s focused on moving your team from "A" to "B": 1. Based on useful business value drivers 2. Data-driven, often through simple models 3. Built on good hypotheses the the team to iterate Which of these 3 is particularly useful to you? What else is useful strategy based on to you? #business #leadership #management #strategy #communication