“The Year of Presence”
“Break free from autopilot – when you choose to be fully present, you inspire those around you to do the same, creating a ripple effect throughout your organization.” The Year of PresenceHappy New Year! Each January, we set ambitious goals—yet most fizzle by spring. This year, I challenge you to prioritize something genuinely life-changing: being […]
Kevin McKenzie 
“What if the best version of you is just one thoughtful question away?”
Remember, your brand is what others say about you when you’re not in the room. Embracing Reflection and Possibility This Holiday Season As the year winds down and festive lights illuminate our homes, it’s the time of year when we take time off for the holidays to spend with family and friends. It’s also when […]
“Why Trust, Not Features, Sets the Best B2B Firms Apart”
Foster a culture of long-term partnership, where the client’s success is inseparable from your success. What if the very attributes you believe set you apart—your brand, expertise, solutions, or methods—aren’t what matters most to your clients? Too often, B2B firms with advanced offerings risk being perceived as indistinguishable in a market saturated with “me-too” solutions. […]
“Thinking about clients instead of revenue leads to better revenue.”
If you are thinking about revenue, you’re not thinking about the client. If you think about the client, you won’t have to think about revenue. In today’s volatile business landscape, metrics often dominate leadership conversations. Revenue targets, quarterly growth rates, and KPIs drive decision-making globally. Organizations track these numbers enthusiastically, believing that focusing on them […]
“Think of being intuitive, innovative, and inspiring as guiding principles.”
As leaders, we are much like our prehistoric ancestors. They scanned the horizon for potential threats and opportunities, brought the tribe together to decide how to respond, and acted—often with life-or-death consequences. https://youtu.be/PEoyuzCyrBs In this week’s Whatif? Wednesday Thought Letter: let’s consider the US election results and what’s next. Are you ready for what comes […]
“The price of change is often loneliness: five practical strategies to help you stay the course.”
While you’re evolving, you remind others they’re not; the typical response is silence. Congratulations! You’ve committed to unlocking your better leader and positively impacting your stakeholder group—the organization, people, customers, and investors. You’re getting coaching, adopting new behaviours and a healthier mindset based on continual growth and optimism. Well done on committing to a clear […]
“As leaders, we have the power to rethink the team unit.”
The best teams I’ve been part of embody a culture of individual accountability and collective responsibility—weak teams risk failing collectively to succeed individually. Leaders: It’s time to prioritize team purpose, mission, and trust. The impact team members can have on each other is not subtle; it’s significant. The team is the most essential unit of […]
“Leadership: An Evergreen Aspiration”
How do others experience us? And how do others experience themselves when they experience us? https://youtu.be/5B884CblVRI Over the past couple of years, in the Whatif Wednesday Thought Letter, I’ve written about leadership and the impact leaders can have, good or bad, on their organizations, customers, people, and suppliers. Every leader, whether they recognize it or […]
“Overcoming the Barriers to a Responsibility-First Mindset”
Could we create an environment where horizontal thinking and focusing on long-term success is the norm? Last week’s Whatif? If Wednesday’s Thought Letter examined the barriers preventing leaders from fully embracing a responsibility-first mindset and horizontal thinking: The Innovator’s Dilemma, inertia, and individual fear of failure. This week, we explore three solutions to overcome these […]
“The Three Barriers that Prevent a Responsibility-First Mindset”
What if these barriers weren’t the roadblocks they seem to be but rather the starting point for transformational change? Building on last week’s discussion on the distinction between responsibility and accountability, let’s explore the barriers to a responsibility-first mindset. As noted, it takes horizontal thinking; adopting it isn’t without challenges. In discussions with leaders, I […]
“What is a meaningful conversation?”
When someone feels heard and understood, we gain their trust, which is the currency of all relationships. We will be pausing the Whatif? Wednesday Thought Letter for July and August, returning after Labour Day. In the meantime, here’s an article from the archive I hope you will find helpful as you spend more time with […]
“What if we took off our masks and led with vulnerability?”
Leading with vulnerability requires courage. It’s about standing in your truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. https://youtu.be/x3niHT7Ov2I In this week’s Whatif? Wednesday Thought Letter: I’m picking up on a theme that readers raised from the recent series on imposter syndrome, negative self-talk, and limiting beliefs—vulnerability. What if We Led with Vulnerability? Imagine a world where […]
“Internal Saboteurs: Significant Barriers to Leadership and Personal Growth”
We all face these challenges from time to time to some degree. They are not exclusive to any career stage, age, or gender—it’s just the nature of the human condition. In this week’s Whatif? Wednesday Thought Letter, we conclude our thoughts on imposter syndrome, negative self-talk, and limiting beliefs as significant barriers to leadership effectiveness […]
“Breaking Free from Limiting Beliefs”
Leaders may become trapped in a cycle of self-doubt, unable to make decisive actions or inspire their teams effectively. The consequences can be far-reaching, affecting team morale, innovation, and overall organizational success. Welcome to this week’s Whatif? Wednesday Thought Letter, where we delve into a topic that might hold you back: limiting beliefs. If imposter […]
“The second growth-hindering career saboteur: negative self-talk.”
Remember, the most powerful stories we tell are the ones we tell ourselves. Let’s make them count. Today, we’re delving into the second growth-hindering career saboteur: negative self-talk. Understanding Negative Self-talk Picture this: a relentless critic, always by your side, whispering that you’re not good enough, smart enough, or capable enough. This critic isn’t […]