Five years ago, I was facilitating a strategy review for a client in the health sector. Midway, the CEO leaned back and sighed, “Mr Strategy, I don’t know why my managers are slow. Nothing moves without me.”

I asked him, “How many decisions land on your desk daily?”

“Everything. Budgets. Staff leave. Supplier payments. Even office tea orders!”

I smiled. Not to mock him but because I had seen the actual disease.

It reminded me of Grandpa’s granary back in the village. No one touched the food reserves without Grandpa’s say-so. During one dry season, rats chewed through half the store. The younger boys saw it but wouldn’t act.

They were waiting for Grandpa.

By the time he responded, it was too late. Read more >>

“Tomorrow, we’re running a Permission-Free Day. For 24 hours, no one is allowed to escalate routine decisions to the CEO. You decide. You approve. You act. Only crisis-level, business-threatening issues come to the CEO.”

Dear Executives and Managers,

Growing up in the village we had a curious ritual during the mango season. Everyone in the village would rush to pick ripe mangoes under the big tree early in the morning. But there was always one man old Kasaija who waited until afternoon when the sun was high, thinking no one else would pick the mangoes. By then, the fruits were long gone. Year after year, he complained that others were his problem. The truth was simpler: he was too comfortable, too sure the mangoes would wait for him.

I see the same problem in boardrooms. Leaders obsess over competitors what new product they’ve launched, which market they’ve entered, and what price they’ve slashed. But I’ll tell you plainly: your biggest competitor is not another company. It’s your complacency. Read more >>

Dear Executives and Managers,

The village is a laboratory of sorts, you get to experience so many things. When growing up, we used to dig trenches to trap small animals. One day, my cousin suggested making a deeper, more complex trap. But the elders warned us: What if it collapses? What if we waste time? Out of fear, we stuck to the same old shallow trench. Week after week, no catch. Then, a younger boy barely twelve dug his own, ignored the warnings, and caught a big rabbit. That day, I learned: that the fear of failure keeps you using old tools that no longer work.

Fast forward to businesses the same fear still rules. Leaders loudly declare, “We want innovation!” They host brainstorming sessions, create shiny innovation departments, and even hire “Chief Innovation Officers.” But nothing truly game-changing comes out. Why? Because underneath, everyone is afraid to fail. The leaders punish failure instead of rewarding the attempt. Read more >>

Your workplace may be broken. It’s time to fix it.

Most organizations struggle with the same problems high turnover, low productivity, disengaged employees, and leadership that feels stuck. You think the issue is strategy, hiring, or motivation. It’s not.

The real problem is your culture.

Introducing the Culture Mastery Series by Mr Strategy, the author of “7Tools to Get to the Board and Add Value”, and “Execution is the Strategy” Newsletter series on LinkedIn.

This is not another leadership seminar. It is a culture transformation program designed for CEOs, HR leaders, managers, and employees who are ready to fix what is broken and build a workplace where results matter.

No theories. No generic advice. Only proven frameworks, practical solutions, and tools you can apply immediately. Read more >>

This thought-provoking book offers an incisive examination of corporate governance from both a historical and contemporary point of view…I highly recommend it for your useful and sustainable leadership benefit” – Michael Mugabi, Former President, Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda.