As organizations grow, management quality often becomes the biggest constraint on performance. Yet most managers are promoted without training, leaving them to navigate people leadership through trial and error.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor speaks with Ashley Herd, former McKinsey HR leader, LinkedIn Learning instructor, and founder of Manager Method, about how organizations can build confident, capable managers at scale. Drawing on her experience across law, HR, and global consulting, Ashley shares a practical perspective on why management capability is frequently overlooked and how that gap impacts culture, performance, and risk.

Ashley explains how HR is often viewed as a compliance function rather than a strategic partner, and why that mindset limits organizational effectiveness. She explores how compliance and culture can work together, not in opposition, when leaders focus on transparency, clarity, and human-centered decision-making. The conversation highlights common breakdowns in feedback, performance reviews, and engagement surveys, and why ongoing manager development matters more than annual processes.

The episode also looks ahead to the future of people leadership, including how AI is changing expectations for managers and why organizations must clearly define what is expected, allowed, and possible. Rather than replacing human leadership, Ashley argues that technology makes confident, well-trained managers more important than ever.

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit

If you want your team’s execution to be smoother, faster, and easier, your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team.

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why most managers struggle due to a lack of training, not a lack of effort

• How HR and leadership can work together to scale management capability

• The balance between compliance, culture, and performance

• Why feedback and recognition cannot be once-a-year conversations

• How leaders should prepare managers for the future of work and AI

Connect with Ashley Herd

Website: https://www.managermethod.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyherd/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With over 15 years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals.

Connect with Anthony: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: https://www.smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: https://www.rednyne.com

In mature industries, innovation is often misunderstood as novelty, experimentation, or disruption for its own sake. But for organizations facing margin pressure, increased competition, and slowing growth, innovation is not a buzzword. It is a mechanism for strategic renewal.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor speaks with Bruce Vojak, Managing Director of Breakthrough Innovation Advisors, about how established organizations can renew themselves without destabilizing the core business. Drawing on more than four decades of experience across executive leadership, board service, academic research, and advisory work, Bruce shares a pragmatic and disciplined view of innovation that moves beyond hype.

Bruce explains why many mature companies default to cost-cutting and optimization when under pressure, and why that approach often accelerates long-term decline. He outlines his framework, built on alignment, simple processes, and innovation exemplars, and shows how leaders can assess whether their organization is truly capable of innovation or merely incremental improvement.

The conversation also explores innovation as a deeply human act of discovery, the role of pattern recognition in leadership, and how executives should think about emerging technologies like AI without overcommitting too early. Rather than chasing novelty, Bruce emphasizes renewal rooted in reality, customer needs, and organizational truth.

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit

If you want your team's execution to be smoother, faster, and easier, your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team.

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In this episode, you will learn:

- Why innovation should be viewed as strategic renewal, not novelty- How mature organizations lose their ability to renew over time- Why cost-cutting is not a sustainable long-term strategy- How alignment determines whether innovation efforts succeed or stall- What role do innovation exemplars play inside established companies- How leaders should approach AI amid uncertainty and rapid change

Connect with Bruce Vojak

Website: https://www.breakthrough-innovation-advisors.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bvojak/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With over 15 years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: www.smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

In a workplace shaped by rapid change, remote work debates, and shifting expectations, many organizations are struggling to define what employee experience should actually look like. In this episode, we explore the future of employee experience and why leaders must return to first principles to build organizations that are truly future-ready.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor speaks with Jacob Morgan, founder of Future of Work Leaders, a professionally trained futurist, and a six-time best-selling author. Jacob shares insights drawn from years of research and conversations with hundreds of CHROs and senior leaders around the world. Together, they unpack how the pandemic reshaped the employee-employer relationship and where many organizations lost their way.

Jacob explains why employee experience must be rooted in a mutually beneficial value exchange and why leadership accountability, clarity, and standards matter more than ever. He offers a clear perspective on the power balance between employers and employees, the role of in-person work in long term career growth, and how leaders can better communicate expectations while still supporting flexibility.

You will also hear Jacob’s perspective on the impact of AI on the future of work. He breaks down why AI is both a risk and an opportunity, how it changes career development, and why the ability to show value rather than just describe it will become a defining advantage for leaders and professionals alike.

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit

If you want your team's execution to be smoother, faster, and easier, your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team.

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why employee experience needs a reset after the pandemic

• How leaders should think about the power balance between employers and employees

• Why in-person work still matters for long-term career growth

• How leaders can set clearer expectations without sacrificing flexibility

• What the rise of AI means for careers, leadership, and the future of work

Connect with Jacob Morgan

Website: https://thefutureorganization.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobmorgan8/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With over 15 years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: www.smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

In a marketing landscape increasingly obsessed with dashboards, efficiency, and short term ROI, many organizations are unknowingly measuring themselves into slower growth. In this episode, we explore what it really means to measure what matters in marketing and why focusing too narrowly on efficiency can quietly undermine long term results.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor speaks with Brook Shepard, founder of Mason Interactive and long time digital agency leader. With over a decade of experience helping businesses scale through data driven marketing, Brook shares a clear and practical perspective on how leaders should think about metrics, customer acquisition, and growth in an increasingly complex digital environment.

Brook breaks down the tension between efficiency and growth, explaining why metrics like ROAS and cost per lead can be misleading when viewed in isolation. He shares real world examples of how bottom of funnel optimization, when overemphasized, can starve future demand and slow momentum. Together, Brook and Anthony discuss how marketing works as a system, why different channels play different roles, and how leaders can make better strategic decisions by aligning metrics with intent rather than convenience.

You will also hear a candid discussion on attribution, zero click search, and the evolving role of AI in customer acquisition. Brook explains why attribution models must evolve alongside buyer behavior and how leaders can build confidence in their marketing investments by testing assumptions, involving third party expertise, and reframing how success is defined.

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit

If you want your team execution to be smoother, faster, and easier your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team. https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In this episode, you will learn:

- Why efficiency focused metrics can limit long term growth

- How to think about customer acquisition as a system, not a single channel

- Why new customers are more valuable than they often appear on paper

- How to align marketing metrics with strategic intent and business goals

- What leaders need to understand about attribution, zero click search, and AI driven behavior

Connect with Brook Shepard

Website: https://masoninteractive.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brshepard/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With 15 plus years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: www.smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

As organizations scale, complexity increases. Systems break, communication slows, and leaders often lose sight of how the business actually works. In this episode, we explore why structure, sales discipline, and clear strategy are essential for sustainable growth in global organizations.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor sits down with Pete Harris, President of Pipedrive. Pete previously led global business development and global partnerships at Intuit and spent over a decade at Deloitte, where he worked closely with hundreds of organizations across industries. Today, he leads value creation strategy at Pipedrive, supporting more than 100,000 customers across 180 countries.

Anthony and Pete discuss how an auditor’s mindset helps leaders truly understand their business, why strong systems create predictability without limiting adaptability, and how sales processes mirror leadership execution. Pete shares lessons from scaling a global SaaS platform, navigating private equity ownership, and balancing short-term performance with long-term strategic bets.

You will also hear how Pete approaches partnerships differently from traditional sales, why assumptions often derail negotiations, and how experimentation has become a core part of modern strategy. Pete introduces Pipedrive’s Artist and Scientist framework, which encourages leaders to combine data-driven discipline with creative problem-solving to adapt in uncertain environments.

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

⁠https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit⁠

If you want your team execution to be smoother, faster, and easier your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team. ⁠https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution⁠

In this episode, you will learn:

Why understanding structure and process is critical before scaling

How sales systems and leadership execution are closely connected

What differentiates partnerships from transactional sales relationships

How to balance short-term results with long-term strategic priorities

Why adaptability and experimentation are essential to modern strategy

Connect with Pete Harris

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-harris-a166665/

Website: https://www.pipedrive.com/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With 15+ years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: www.smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

Enroll in our strategic thinking training today for $0!

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Strategic-Leadership-Toolkit

If you want your team execution to be smoother, faster, and easier your team needs the right tools and coaching. Enroll in the Strategy Leadership Accelerator and level up your leadership team.

https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In markets that feel more crowded and noisy every quarter, many organizations quietly slide into commodity status and do not even realize it. In this episode, we explore how to uncover the hidden magic in your business before you price and simplify your way out of what makes you great.

In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, host Anthony Taylor speaks with Barry LaBov, founder of LABOV Marketing Communications and Training, long-time agency leader, former rock musician, and author of The Power of Differentiation. Together they dig into what real differentiation looks like in practice, why it usually already exists inside your organization, and how to communicate it in a way that energizes customers and employees alike.

Barry shares stories from premium brands and industrial firms, from whisky and trucks to copper and rail, that all discovered unique value in places they had been taking for granted. He explains why leaders often erase their own competitive advantage in the name of efficiency, and offers practical questions you can use to avoid the commodity trap and keep the features and experiences your customers truly love.

You will also hear Barry and Anthony talk about the human side of differentiation. They explore how to involve employees early, why listening to customers reveals more than any internal workshop, and how leaders can use vulnerability and clear communication to avoid the void of misinformation inside their organizations.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why almost every organization has real differentiation, but it is not fully using it
  

• How to find the invisible strengths in your products, services, and customer experience
  

• The risks of decontenting and cost-cutting that quietly erode brand love
  

• Questions to ask customers and employees to reveal what you should never change
  

• How to connect differentiation, culture, and leadership transparency
  

Connect with Barry LaBov

Website: https://www.barrylabov.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-labov-6965241/

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With 15+ years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.
Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

When companies begin to scale, founders often become the bottleneck without realizing it. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Sam Goodner, serial entrepreneur, former Swiss Army officer, and author of Like Clockwork Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision.

Sam has spent more than 25 years scaling technology and consulting companies, leading teams through rapid multi-year growth, and building systems that create clarity, repeatability, and disciplined execution. His Swiss Army background brings a practical lens to leadership, communication, and operational structure.

In this conversation, Sam explains why many founders plateau at three to four million in revenue, how to decentralize decision-making, and why sales must be the first part of the business to become repeatable. He shares the simple daily huddle that transformed alignment inside his organizations, how to build an executive team that actually owns decisions, and the question every leader must answer to uncover their unfair advantage.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

► Learn more about our courses: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In this episode, you will learn:

☑️ Why founders become the bottleneck during early scale

☑️ How to create systems that are repeatable and trainable

☑️ Why sales must be operationalized before anything else

☑️ How daily huddles strengthen communication and accountability

☑️ How to build executive swim lanes that drive ownership

☑️ How to identify what you are best at in the world

This episode is for:

▶️ Founders scaling beyond the early stage

▶️ CEOs managing complex or fast-growing operations

▶️ Leaders who want stronger execution and alignment

▶️ Teams developing systems, structure, and clarity

About the Guest

Sam Goodner is a serial entrepreneur, executive leader, and former officer in the Swiss Mountain Grenadiers. He has spent decades scaling organizations, developing executive teams, and designing operational systems that support sustained growth. Sam is the author of Like Clockwork Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision, a practical guide for leaders who want their company to function with discipline and alignment.

Learn more: samgoodner.com

Connect with Sam: linkedin.com/in/samgoodner

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With more than 14 years of experience, he helps teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve measurable results.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com

In every industry, there are strategies that quietly outperform the conventional wisdom. In this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Andy Weiner, Founder and President of RockStep Capital, one of the most innovative retail real estate investment firms in the United States.

Andy’s career spans more than 40 years across retail operations, commercial real estate, and shopping center redevelopment. Before launching RockStep Capital, he served as Vice President of Operations for Weiner’s Stores, a regional chain that grew to 159 locations across Texas and Louisiana. Today, RockStep Capital owns and operates nearly 10 million square feet of shopping centers across 11 states, specializing in the revitalization of enclosed malls and open air retail in secondary and tertiary markets.

In this conversation, Andy explains why RockStep invests in “hometowns” under a million people, how local partnerships reduce risk and unlock value, and why big institutional players routinely overlook the most resilient markets. He shares the strategic pillars behind RockStep’s long term success, including his 25 RockSteps culture system, a set of behavioral principles used by all 100 employees to build trust, accountability, and high performance. Andy also outlines how retail has evolved in the age of Amazon, why strong operators continue to grow, and why the best opportunities exist where most investors never think to look.

► Work with us to facilitate your strategic plan: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator

► Learn more about our courses: https://courses.smestrategy.net/courses/Leading-Strategy-Execution

In this episode, you will learn:

☑️ Why local partnerships give investors and leaders a strategic advantage

☑️ How secondary and tertiary markets outperform expectations

☑️ Why retail is far from dead, despite the Amazon narrative

☑️ How the 25 RockSteps culture system builds high performing teams

☑️ Why most deals fail and what separates elite operators

☑️ How community based strategy reduces risk and increases long term value

This episode is for:

▶️ CEOs and executives leading growth and transformation

▶️ Investors and operators seeking overlooked opportunities

▶️ Leaders building culture, accountability, and alignment

▶️ Teams navigating disruption in retail, real estate, and local markets

About the Guest

Andy Weiner is the Founder and President of RockStep Capital, a national retail real estate investment company specializing in acquiring and revitalizing shopping centers in high potential secondary and tertiary markets. With more than four decades of experience across retail operations and real estate, he is recognized for pioneering a community based investment model driven by strong local partnerships. Andy is the creator of the 25 RockSteps, a behavioral culture framework used across RockStep’s 100 employee team to build trust, resolve conflict, and create a high performance environment.

Learn more: rockstep.com

Connect with Andy: linkedin.com/in/andy-weiner

About the Host

Anthony Taylor is the CEO, Founder, and Senior Facilitator at SME Strategy. With more than 14 years of experience, he helps leadership teams create alignment, implement strategy, and achieve measurable results.

Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604

About SME Strategy

SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.

Learn more: smestrategy.net

Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com