SisuSemi

A happy Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer

In my role as Chief Operating Officer at SisuSemi, I bring my industrial experience to drive deep-tech product development. 
I focus on ensuring seamless integration of our technology to meet end customer needs and add value that changes the world with atomic level cleanliness.

Chief Operating Officer

• Spearheaded strategic planning and fostered an agile development culture at SisuSemi.
• Facilitated fluent communication with other board members and venture investors to drive decision-making processes.
• Implemented innovative approaches to drive company growth and enhance stakeholder relationships.

Member Board of Directors

SCHOTT

Driving successful process integration for next generation AR-display products.
- Created roadmap and roadmapping process to improve performance and production yield. 
- Ensured good management practices to track development items, as well as ensured good leadership practice to prioritize items with all voices heard, improving collaboration between departments.   
- Driving plans and execution that has led significant (>x2.5) process capability improvements with a limiting process step.

Chief Engineer, Process Integration

Freelance Consultant (/Light Entrepreneur)

Summa Semiconductor

What was Summa Semiconductor all about; 
SUMMA SEMICONDUCTOR – BRIDGING THE GAP FROM PROTOTYPING TO MICROELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING.
We manufacture specialized semiconductor devices tailored to customer needs. We provide a full pathway from R&D, prototyping and pilot production to manufacturing.

Services:
- Engineering
- Prototyping
- Pilot production
- Transfer to volume production
- technology transfer
- Technical Consulting

Microsoft

𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 
– Spearheaded initiatives that improved processes, resulting in 10% faster development cycles.

𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 
– Delivered a 2nd gen fabrication solution that led to step-like performance boost and a superior yield with over 35% reduction in the cost of waveguides.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 
– Led multiple development teams, managing an organization size of 36  employees. Consistently achieved wellbeing results above the Finland team average in organization surveys each year.

𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 
– Successfully secured multimillion-dollar internal investments for the development of 2nd generation fabrication technology and improvements in hard master fabrication technology.

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 
– Co-created the Waveguide fabrication technology roadmap. Steered the development portfolio and worked as a sponsor or steering group member for multiple strategic projects.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀𝟮 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 
– Successfully shipped HoloLens2 waveguides, which featured more than double the Field-of-View and improved waveguide efficiency and uniformity compared to HoloLens1.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗦 𝟭 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 
– Successfully shipped IVAS 1 (Military version of HoloLens product) waveguides, which featured more than double the Field of View compared to HoloLens2.

Director, Engineering - HoloLens

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 
– Directed the development of the display and managed communication up to the CVP level. Expertly coordinated and synchronized development activities within a global cross-functional team of over 70 individuals, managing a development budget of over 20 million USD per year.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 
– Established a structured process to manage schedules, budgets, and program risks effectively, enhancing overall operational efficiency.

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 
– Managed a local Program Management team consisting of 7 employees, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment.

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 
– Led the maturation of the display fabrication from corporate research into a product, successfully delivering HoloLens 1 displays in line with company targets.

Senior HW Program Manager - HoloLens

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 
– Directed the development of diffractive waveguides, achieving a key outcome of over 30% reduction in fabrication noise using Six Sigma methods, which drove the continuation of design development.

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 / 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 
– Supervised personnel in waveguide design and prototyping, ensuring high-quality output and adherence to project timelines.

HW Program Manager - HoloLens

EpiCrystals Inc.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 
– Utilized leadership skills to supervise a team of 13 people, enhancing product performance by over 30% and yield by over 30 percentage points.

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 
– Successfully scaled up manufacturing capacity to 10,000 units per month.

Operations Program Manager, Laser Diode

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 
– Supervised a team of 5 people, focusing on the development of novel laser diodes.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 
– Matured the novel laser diode from research phase into the next stage and transferred fabrication to the target factory, enhancing production efficiency and product quality.

Product Development Manager

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 
– Successfully established a state-of-the-art 808nm process on time at the target factory and delivered it to the customer.

𝗘𝗻𝗱-𝘁𝗼-𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗲 
– Led the end-to-end development for novel Red-Green-Blue laser diode development, ensuring seamless coordination and efficient execution.

R&D Engineer

Optoelectronics Research Centre, Tampere University of Technology

- Development of semiconductor laser processing & passivation methos

- Completed master's thesis

Research assistant

COO at SisuSemi | New Ideas Into Results | Expert in R&D, Product dev and Program mngt | High Tech Leader | ex Chief Eng. @ SCHOTT | ex Dir @ MSFT | Empower Others and be Better | Look Out More for Leadership & Growth

𝐼'𝑚 𝑎 𝐸𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑦 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔. 
𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑦 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑡. 
𝑃𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡.
I bridge deep-tech innovation and execution at scale - turning complexity into clarity, and potential into progress.


𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲
Over 20 years across semiconductors, photonics, and AR/VR hardware, I’ve learned one truth: great ideas succeed only when structure, discipline, and empowered teams bring them to life.

𝐌𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐍𝐀:
• Clarity in ambiguity → distilling complexity into direction.
• Vision with discipline → building strategies that endure.
• People first → growing resilient, high-performance teams.
I believe leadership is about balance - vision with structure, innovation with execution, and ambition with accountability.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫
• 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – Built and led orgs of 36+, sustaining performance while prioritizing wellbeing.
• 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Developed roadmaps and multi-year investment strategies; embedded agile culture for long-term growth.
• 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Brought AR display innovation from R&D to market at Microsoft and SCHOTT; achieved >35% cost reductions and 2.5x process capability improvements.
• 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧 – Managed $10M+ budgets; secured multimillion-dollar investments to scale innovation.
• 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 – Delivered results across startups and global programs through resilient teams, robust processes, and scalable manufacturing pipelines.

𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 & 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
• SisuSemi – Co-founder & Board Member; strategy, investors, agile growth leadership.
• Summa Semiconductor – Board Member; governance, finance, transition planning.
• Community & Housing Boards – Leadership roles in governance, strategy, and engagement.


Today, I share insights on 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝, 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑡ℎ - especially how to scale deep-tech innovation, build resilient teams, and drive lasting impact through leadership and board work.

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: 
Leadership • Strategic Planning • Program Management • Product Development • Operations • Semiconductors • Photonics • Technology Management • AR/VR Hardware • Manufacturing Scale-Up

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Note; The views expressed in my post are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or thoughts, of my employer.

When execution slips, most leaders react in the same way... 
more meetings, more tracking, ... ending up creating more noise.
 
Creating more “structure” in the “crisis” is the leadership equivalent for the screaming... And more you create the structure to help delivering results, the louder you scream.
 
But 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 - 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.
People don’t move faster because you push harder.
 
They move faster when they 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 in the goal, understand 𝑤ℎ𝑦 it matters, and trust the system around them.
 
Execution isn’t a volume problem - it’s a connection problem.
Leaders who sense friction, remove barriers, and invite ownership don’t need to yell.
The system speaks for itself.
 
 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑖𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 –
 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤.

Pasi Pietilä

COO & Co-Founder | Deep-Tech Scaling (Semiconductors, Photonics, AR/VR) | Strategy → Execution → Growth | MSc | eMBA Candidate ’27

They say: “Startup life is hard.”
Me: “Heck… let’s add an eMBA on top of it.”

Not because I enjoy the pain (don’t trust 𝑎𝑙𝑙  the rumors 😊), but because growth rarely fits neatly into a calendar. 
It happens when you intentionally stretch your capacity, your perspectives, and your system of thinking.

𝐒𝐨 𝐈’𝐦 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜’𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐁𝐀 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 - a modern, flexible eMBA that actually works alongside the controlled chaos of building a company.
 
Why this?
Because the principles I write about (e.g., Iterative Planning, Developing Teams, Sensing and Gently Guidance, ...) are only as strong as my willingness to apply them to myself.

This program forces me to do exactly that... to sharpen how I think, decide, collaborate, and lead...
Not “someday,” but now, in the middle of real constraints, real deadlines, and real uncertainty.

And honestly… that’s the point.
Progress rarely comes from waiting for the perfect moment.
It comes from creating forward motion while things are messy, complicated, and unpredictable. (And 𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛.)

So here’s to the next chapter...
One part structured learning, 
One part startup chaos, 
and one part the ongoing experiment of becoming a better leader… 
while still keeping the 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒  most important roles: husband, father, and human.

If nothing else, it will make for some great frameworks.

From Slides to Nowhere
𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑂𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑙
 
I have seen this too many times...
A plan is created in isolation. It looks great on slides – polished (, but often full of jargon), filled with charts and nice graphics.
But the person creating it, is not accountable from execution.
 
What happens next? The classical hamster wheel effect starts....:
🛑  𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑝𝑡 𝑖𝑡. Often they don’t fully read it, they don’t understand it, and frankly, it doesn’t feel like their plan.
🛑 Work continues as before.
🛑 Weeks or months later, 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑠 - 𝑛𝑜 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑛𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠.
🛑 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘, 𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 “𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛”… and the cycle repeats.
 
This is what I call as 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞: It's like strategy as theatre, not as a way of working.
 
✅ 𝐀 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 
Ownership means the people accountable for delivery are also shaping the direction, setting priorities, and committing to execution. Without that, the “plan” is just slides - and slides don’t move things forward.
 
👉 My takeaway: 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 doesn’t come from a perfect plan.
It 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 - 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞.
 
❓have you seen this cycle in action?
Comment below...

Plans 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙 in powerpoint...
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝...

When the connection between people, leadership, and the system fades.

In real world, the things that matter the most is rarely the plan itself... It’s the alignment, the trust, and the ownership that carry it.

𝐴𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦 
✅ Plans give direction.
✅ Governance gives rhythm.
✅ But connection gives life.

👇 My latest article dives into why execution breaks down... and what leaders can do about it.

Why Teams Don’t Fail for Lack of Plans, but for Lack of Connection In 2007-2010, Nokia and BlackBerry were the gold standard of mobile technology. The

Open article: Why Execution Fails - and It’s Not Because of the Plan  by Pasi Pietilä • 4 min read

Why Execution Fails - and It’s Not Because of the Plan

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝟑 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.... 
𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞.
 
I have seen many post how the reach on LinkedIn has been reduced during 2025. 
Personally, that’s not a surprise - I have been spending less time here, so that’s naturally visible on the reach. 

However, I feel that peoples focus span is reducing - The amount of information (let it be LinkedIn content, or data, or you name it) has been increased. 
Personally I blame and thank AI from that one. 
And humans response in natural ways - When there is more information, we screen faster... 
If information does not resonate quickly, we move forward. 
 
This naturally bring me into two different topics... 
(1) We need more time for deep-work. That’s granted and that would be worth of own post series as well as own article. (Maybe later – I don’t have now for that one 😉)
(2) The second point is how quickly we need to grab the attention. In a world overflowing with updates, notifications, and meetings, attention isn’t something you earn later - it’s something you either capture or lose instantly.
 
That’s not only about SoMe or advertisement... That applies also to leadership just as much as communication.
When you speak, share a plan, or kick off a project - your team decides in seconds whether to 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡.
 
If your message isn’t clear, if your direction isn’t focused, energy starts to scatter.
And once focus is gone, momentum follows.
 
Great leaders don’t just communicate - 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒’𝑠 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡.
 
Because you don’t get 3 seconds to grab attention.
You get 3 seconds to earn 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡.

“Plans only exist to show how far behind we are.”
That was a statement from ex-colleague. 

But there is a truth behind that statement, that has bigger impact than you think. 

Let's be clear.... A plan isn’t there to predict the future.
A good plan is there to 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐮𝐬, 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐮𝐬, and 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐬 for the messy reality that follows.

Here’s what great planning 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 does:
𝟏. 𝐀 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬.
It requires us to choose what matters most - and, just as importantly, what doesn’t.
Without a plan, everything feels urgent. 
With a plan, priorities become visible.
 
𝟐. 𝐀 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.
Not in a micromanaging way, but in a “this is what we think will happen and when” way.
When the plan is built on top of 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 (you might also call those milestones), not endless tasks, everyone knows what the destination looks like.
 
𝟑. 𝐀 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐨-𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝.
The strongest plans aren’t created in isolation.
They are shaped with the teams who will actually deliver the work.
Leadership sets the direction; teams shape the path.

𝟒. 𝐀 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.
It paints the big picture, outlines the key milestones, and leaves enough space for the inevitable changes, turns, discoveries, (you know... the unknowns) and creative problem-solving that happen during execution.


At end of the day, execution 𝑖𝑠 messy.
And that’s okay.

A plan is not a promise - it’s a shared understanding.
A living tool that helps teams stay aligned, make trade-offs, communicate clearly, and adjust intelligently as reality unfolds.

So yes, sometimes plans do show how far behind we are.
But without them, we wouldn’t even know what “behind” means.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥...
𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆.
 
If you’re leading teams or driving complex work, you can’t keep everything in your head... And to be clear, you shouldn’t try.

The better approach is to bring a systematic way to operate. 
A process, 
Tools 
and Methods. 

In practice it all starts with simple things.
𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬. 
Leading to big impact --> 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒘𝒊𝒅𝒕𝒉.
 
When the details live in a system (not within your head), your mind is free to do what it’s actually good at:
•  Seeing patterns....  or the lack of them
•  Noticing changes and emerging risks
•  Making sharp decisions (and changing the plan)
•  Responding fast when things shift (𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙)
 
Externalize the chaos so you can stay focused on what truly moves the work forward.
𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐.

𝐈𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭.
But the 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 10% and the 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 10% that are the most challenging ones.

Those are the moments where projects move from intention → 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦…
and where reality finally has to become 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝.

People talk a lot about “doing the work,” but here’s the truth:
𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟎% is where procrastination shows up.
Starting means making decisions, managing trade-offs, framing the problem, choosing a path.

It means stepping into the unknown – to the place where we often discover how wrong our assumptions in the plan actually were.
It’s mentally expensive.
This is where teams spin, delay, or over-plan instead of taking the first step.

 
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟎% is where Parkinson’s Law takes over.
Work expands, polish becomes perfection, and “almost done” stretches forever.

It’s where accountability matters most - where someone has to call it done, even when not every piece matches the initial expectations.
It’s also where we must once again admit that some of our assumptions were wrong.
Finishing requires acceptance - declaring something “good enough” to move forward.
And for high-performers and high-tech teams, that’s often the hardest muscle to flex.

What’s interesting is that these pains show up everywhere:
Small tasks. Big programs.
 
Even when you work iteratively.
Iteration doesn’t eliminate the 10% + 10% problem.
It just slices it into more frequent cycles - easier to face, but still very real.

The start and end, sums up...
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬.
But that’s the 20% of execution that drives the 80% of the results. 

The good news?
Once you recognize the pattern, you can design for it:
 • Reduce friction at the start.
 • Set explicit “good enough” criteria for the end. – And be ready to review those criteria as needed.
 • Build momentum in the messy middle.
 • Celebrate progress, not perfection.

Progress isn’t just about what happens between 10% and 90%.
It’s about learning how to cross the threshold…
at the 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐚𝐧𝐝 at the 𝑒𝑛𝑑.

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