The Archive

Every issue of Exec Edge, from day one. Sharp thinking for leaders, one idea at a time.

178 issues published

Is managing the wrong job for you?

Three checks to tell a hard first year of managing from being in the wrong job.

3 min read

This makes retrospectives more actionable

Four questions that take retrospectives from complaint to root cause to action.

3 min read

4 ways to help new hires ramp faster

Four rules for an onboarding buddy system that takes about six hours.

3 min read

Q4 priorities (Template inside)

A one-hour quarterly reset: three priorities, a stop-doing list and direction for 90 days.

3 min read

Gut vs. Data

When to trust your gut vs the data, based on Kahneman and Klein’s two conditions.

3 min read

Target’s $5.4 billion expansion lesson

A six-question scorecard to test whether you can win in a new market (Target Canada).

3 min read

Missed your quarter results? Here’s what to tell your board

How to explain a missed quarter to the board and rebuild trust in your forecast.

3 min read

Your 12-hour eating plan (template inside)

A 12-hour eating and caffeine plan timed around your hardest thinking work.

4 min read

Your inner circle (who’s missing?)

Build a personal board of advisors with five key seats and spot who is missing.

3 min read

Would you hire them again?

Three questions before rehiring a boomerang employee.

3 min read

5 AI questions for your team

Five 1:1 questions that reveal whether each person is really getting more done with AI.

4 min read

Delegate everything except these four

The four decisions a CEO should never delegate and how to avoid becoming the bottleneck.

3 min read