Let me introduce you to Mark. He looked at me, his eyes bloodshot and desperate. "Joe, it's like herding cats, but the cats are on fire."
Sound familiar?
You're not just walking a tightrope; you're walking a razor's edge.
It's a high-stakes game of balance in a world that's anything but.
- Push too hard, and you risk a mutiny.
- Don't push enough, and you're the captain of a sinking ship.
- You're damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Eggshells? You're practically tap dancing on a minefield.
Here's the ugly truth I've been hearing from CEOs like you, dealing with culture problems, employee engagement issues, and the complexities of hybrid work:
-> "I can't even breathe the word 'sensitive' without risking my job."
-> "My team is drowning, but they're not open to AI or transformation."
-> "Accountability? More like a blame game on steroids."
-> "New ideas are treated like foreign invaders
Yikes, right? Hold that thought.
Let's sprinkle in some facts, stats, and studies:
#1 - When Leaders Struggle with Collaboration - This Harvard Business Review article discusses how talented leaders often find collaboration difficult, which can extend to trouble being honest and transparent with their teams. Read more
#2 - People Want Their Leaders To Be Honest About The Challenges They're Facing - This Forbes article discusses the importance of leaders being honest about the challenges they face. While it doesn't specifically talk about the difficulties in being honest, it emphasizes the need for transparency. Read more
#3 - Authentic Leadership, Trust (in the Leader), and Flourishing: This study emphasizes the importance of authentic leadership, which includes being honest and sincere. It suggests leaders who are true to themselves have a positive effect on their followers. Read more
📉According to Gallup, only 36% of employees are engaged. Companies that foster a culture of honesty have 2.5 times the stock returns.
📈Another study shows 89% of employees want their employers to be more transparent.
We can't see everything although we often believe we do. And even though we think we need to see everything, the reality is we probably don't.
So instead of being everywhere all the time, we lean on asking questions, listening, and then taking action → seems easy, but it’s not.
McKinsey’s data starkly portrays the scene: a mammoth 70% of organizational change initiatives crumble, chiefly due to insufficient internal dialogue and misaligned stakeholder engagement.
The contemporary workspace is inundated with information, but there’s an acute deficiency in discerning the pivotal signals from the mere noise.
Microsoft’s most recent data illuminates a gaping disparity between managerial beliefs and ground realities. While a reassuring 61% of managers profess to empower their workforce with a voice, a mere 37% agree.
Microsoft's research highlights the power of employee engagement and the significance of the feedback flywheel.
-SIDE RANT-
The macroeconomic factors remain brutal and brittle. The terrain is uncharted for us all. As an active angel investor, I get cool decks from VC firms all the time.This is from Coatue about the state of the state.
The stakes? Sky high.
"Mark," I told him, "your team isn't looking for a messiah. They're looking for a mirror. They're disconnected, not just from you, but from reality."
In the end, they want to feel like they matter and are depended upon.
This is the essence of a healthy and high-performing team.
-SIDE RANT-
I have listened to this podcast interview from Scott Galloway, on parenting 3 times now and forwarded out a bunch to fellow parents on how to build resilience in your kids. You will like it.
Mark's eyes widened,"Go on."
"Your team is a ticking time bomb of unspoken truths. And you, my friend, hold the detonator."
"The only way out is through," I said. "They say the truth will set you free, but it will make you miserable first."
Enter Latch.
It's not just a feedback tool; it's a reality check.
It's a digital podium and spotlights for executives to run this play:
Rinse and repeat.
Mark looked at me, his eyes a cocktail of dread and hope. "It's going to be a war, isn't it?"
"War? No. Revolution? Absolutely."
"Life is a series of hard choices. Make the right ones, and life becomes easy. Make the wrong ones, and well, you know the rest," I said, coining what I like to call a 'Hard Choice, Easy Life' moment.
As I walked out of Mark's office, I felt the weight of his world on my shoulders. But here's the kicker: that weight can be lifted and transformed into fuel for change.
But this comes down to you…
Do you believe the best is yet to come? Are you one idea away from your next million dollars?
Remember how I lost a $3MM client by ignoring the whispers? - don’t be me ; )
Let's get real for a moment.
Your organization isn't just a business; it's a living, breathing organism making 35,000 decisions a day per human being. Do the math - that’s a lot of decisions!
And every decision is a tiny brushstroke in the larger painting of your company's future.
We, as leaders, are flawed artists.
Our vision is clouded by biases, and our hands are often tied by hidden forces.
But what if you had a guide, a confidante, a co-pilot?
Enter SHIFT.
Look I get it, who needs more advice right now?
But… we're not just consultants; we're your organization's therapists, diagnosticians, and surgeons of change. We don't just identify the problems; we help you navigate through the labyrinth of human complexity, too.
After leaving Mark’s office, I heard from our SHIFT team about a recently onboarded client.
They are the same size and shape of Mark’s tech firm, except we started working together a little more than 60 days ago.
In the first 30 days, we listened to their employees and made them feel seen, heard, and understood.
Thanks to Latch, they felt like their voice mattered and their vote counted.
The result? An 80% surge in engagement and a palpable sense of momentum.
Sound interesting?
We're launching a 4-month accelerator program for CEOs and executives who are unapologetically bold and fearlessly optimistic.
And those who are looking to focus on
How to Unlock the Power of AI in Your Business?
Intrigued? Drop me a line.
Our approach has led to jaw-dropping growth for our clients:
🚀 From $5M to $250M
🚀 From $25M to $200M
🚀 From $3.7B to $10B
How?
By empowering teams to unlock their voice, their vote, and their vision.
We're selective. We're looking for leaders ready to challenge norms, shatter ceilings, and redefine the future of work and life.
If you're looking for incremental change, swipe left.
But if you're ready to ignite a revolution, let's talk.
P.S. If you're still reading this, you're already ahead of the curve. The next step? It's yours to take.
