On the 14th day of every month, Spotify gives me 15 new hours of audiobook listening. Today is the 27th of November, and I already hit my limit. It’ll be another 17 days until I can get stuck into the next chapter of my book. 

My world has shifted this year. In July, I decided to focus all my work on helping organisations define and deliver their strategy. As the year comes to a close, and we all start to focus on making 2026 better than 2025, I decided to share some of what I’ve learnt lately.

Many of the leaders I work with tell me their strategy is moving too slowly. They want to build a better business, but it’s not easy.

If you remember your geology - or your David Attenborough documentaries - you’ll remember the Cambrian explosion, a relatively short period in which life on earth changed from single-cell organisms to…crocodiles.

A quick note before we begin. We’re all beginning to spot what’s been written by AI. So, I’m confirming that the below was written by a human. One who tries to deliver something useful and interesting into your inbox once in a while. Thanks for reading.

I’d like to take you ‘into the field’, behind the scenes of some of my latest conversations with leaders and leadership teams. There are two themes which have struck me lately.

Across the work we’re doing in 2025, one theme has emerged.

One clear problem that leadership teams are grappling with.

Why are we not making enough progress on our strategy?