Adam Payne FInstLM

67% of business strategies will fail. These frameworks ensure that yours doesn't. Thanks Chris Donnelly for explaining this so well. If you're navigating growth, especially with PE funding behind you, strategy isn't optional. Here are 6 frameworks to help you out, and let your business really take off: 1. Stakeholder Analysis ↳ Keep an eye on what stakeholders are looking for. ↳ This shapes a strategy that leverages their interest. 2. SWOT Analysis ↳ Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. ↳ Balances internal and external factors for success. 3. Porter's 5 Forces ↳ Assesses market competition and the industry. ↳ You'll figure out how profitable and attractive your industry is. 4. Five Sigma Model ↳ Defines critical issues and helps you solve them. ↳ You'll improve your offering by following those steps. 5. McKinsey 7S Framework ↳ You synchronize key areas for success. ↳ Make sure all the parts work together. 6. Ansoff Matrix ↳ Uses product and market strategies to see opportunities. ↳ You choose where to focus and take action. A strong business strategy is key to leading your business to success. Stick to one of these. You'll see what difference it makes. -------------------------- 🔁 Repost this to help other leaders you know. ➕ Follow Ben Sands for daily advice on business and leadership. 📬 4,000 CEOs get my newsletter every week. Click here to join them: https://lnkd.in/eXiRx-HZ

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Think resilience is just a buzzword? Think again. It's the backbone of thriving businesses in 2025. Resilience is not a 'nice to have'. It's a business imperative. In my work with global clients across industries, I've seen a clear trend: Soft skills didn't just gain importance in times of crisis. They're still at the top of the list in 2025. Emotional intelligence and resilience are no longer optional. They've become must-haves in today's workplace. Why? Because when emotional resilience is low, it leads to: ❌Poor communication, leading to misunderstandings ❌ Increased fatigue and errors ❌ Rising conflict and disengagement In contrast, resilient professionals drive: ✅ Enhanced performance through clear communication ✅ Stronger collaboration, even under pressure ✅Continuous growth, turning chaos into opportunity So what does resilience look like in action? 👉 It shows up as empathy under pressure. 👉 As the ability to stay accountable without blame. 👉 As a mindset that sees change as an opportunity, not a threat. 👉 As a calm focus on solutions and 👉 As a habit of directing energy only toward what can be controlled. Here's the good news: resilience isn't a trait. It's a trainable skill. And many of us have already been resilient (we just forgot how). Start with these three simple practices: 1. Check in with yourself daily → Notice your energy, emotions, and needs. 2. Reframe challenges as data → Every difficulty offers insight and choice. 3. Practise micro-recoveries → Short pauses, movement, and breath work recalibrate your system. Resilience isn't just about bouncing back. It's about moving forward with intention. How has resilience helped you at work? Could you share in the comments? 👉 Follow Maria Luisa Engels for visuals that teach and personal growth insights. Share with your network if you liked this post. 👉 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 to my newsletter and learn to create your visuals. https://lnkd.in/eZ9jUrKk

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Here’s the bit you might not have considered when you become a professional speaker Professional speaking is a business and when you start any business you’re excited, full of optimism and all the possibilities your new life will bring and so it’s tempting to believe you’ll be profitable from day one. Unfortunately, the reality is a bit different, it takes time. In the first months, you’ll probably be: - Investing in your learning - Creating materials and assets - Building your website and positioning - Making a showreel or video content - Setting up systems and processes (these don’t stop, you’ll keep investing in these as your business grows) This is the foundation phase and you may find yourself eating into your savings to make it happen, but it’s what makes profit possible later. I’ve seen too many speakers start with no financial cushion, max out their credit cards, and then feel pressured to succeed immediately. That pressure doesn't usually lead to good decisions. Don't do it. If you can, give yourself six months of living expenses in the bank before you start, or build speaking as a side hustle (sorry I’ve gone American again) while keeping another income stream. It’s far less stressful, and it gives you space to think and be strategic. Give yourself the best possible chance of turning those first steps into long-term success. And whatever business you’re in 6 months living expenses should be your minimum – put money aside for a raining day. Goodness knows we are getting more and more of those these days – and no I’m not talking about climate change. Photo is from recent photoshoot, totally unrelated but hey I paid for it, going to use them.

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We all see it....... all the time. Someone’s technically brilliant at what they do. They know the system, the product, the processes, better than almost anyone. So they get promoted. Makes perfect sense. And then suddenly, they’re leading a team. But being excellent at a specialism doesn’t automatically mean you know how to lead others with that specialism. It’s a different job entirely. What happens next is predictable. They’re uncomfortable, out of their depth, and constantly firefighting. Team morale starts to slip. Decision-making slows. Silos creep in. Not because that person isn’t competent, but because they were never trained to lead. They’re not failing. They’re surviving. There’s no bandwidth to think longer term or wider than the next deadline. They’re stuck in the day-to-day, trying to hold it all together. And it’s not their fault. It’s not the business leader’s fault either, in fact, the logic of promoting them is sound. The issue is what comes next: very little leadership development, and almost no time to think, reflect or grow. Organisations tend to invest in leadership training at the top - for people who are already leading with purpose. But the gap is further down. In the people who are just stepping into leadership, who want to progress but haven’t had the support to do it well. That’s where the difference is made. Because when you build leadership capability throughout the organisation, not just at the top, everything improves. Communication sharpens. Gridlock reduces. Decisions speed up. People feel safer, more motivated, more connected. Gallup research backs this up - get leadership right, and productivity and profitability both rise. Leadership shouldn’t be something people have to figure out on their own. Especially not under pressure. #Leadership #PeopleDevelopment #TeamPerformance #QuirkSolutions #AccidentalManagers #OrganisationalCulture #LeadWithIntent

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You’ve already upgraded your leadership presence. The way you speak. The way you present. The way you lead in the room. But online? → Your résumé still talks tasks, not traction → Your headline reads like a job spec → Your summary blends into every other profile You're a strategic operator—possibly a future board member. But your digital presence? Still looks… safe. Generic. Undersold. Here’s the disconnect: You’ve evolved in the boardroom— But your brand hasn’t caught up in the browser. Because executive presence today isn’t just about the room— It’s about the ripple you create before and after it. The problem? → Your profile was built for history—not for headhunters → You’re listing experience, not executive edge → You’re relying on what you did—not what you signal Inside Executive Brand Architecture™, we shift all that: ✅ Reposition your résumé, bio & LinkedIn around your thinking, not just your doing ✅ Script clarity that lands in 8 seconds or less ✅ Build a visible, credible, boardroom-aligned digital presence When you make the shift? → You become the default pick—not just another option → Your authority shows—before you even speak → You attract mandates that match your value But if you don’t? → You’ll keep showing up late to your own opportunity → You’ll look powerful only after the conversation starts → You’ll lose visibility to leaders with less depth—but more signal 📩 DM “STRATEGIST” If you're ready to own the room—and the click.

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