Doug Brown's
Leadership Insights for The REAL World
The Official Blog for NYC Executive Coaching
Stop Setting Goals. Build the Engine That Achieves Them.
Most plans admire outcomes; too few deliver them. In a 3–5 year horizon, that gets expensive. Our stance at Paradigm is simple: you’re not in the goal-setting business—you’re in the goal-achievement business. That means we help you design and run … Read More
The Human Wiring of Strategy: How Minds and Businesses Achieve Bold Growth
From my associate Janice Giannini. Where Strategy Meets Human Wiring Every fall, executives gather in boardrooms to build their strategic plans. Using pretty charts and spreadsheets to support the lofty goals. Yet, year after year, many of these plans quietly … Read More
The Bias Trap: Why Smart People Keep Repeating the Same Mistakes
From my associate Dan Elliott We often pride ourselves on being logical, rational thinkers. We gather the facts, weigh the options, and make well-reasoned decisions. Yet despite this, we see a curious and persistent phenomenon: people—intelligent, experienced, thoughtful people—repeatedly making … Read More
Beyond Execution: Building Leaders Who Create Value
From my associate Janice Giannini. Most leadership development efforts today miss the mark. They teach how to manage goals, communicate clearly, delegate efficiently, and deliver results; all important, but insufficient! In a world where strategic threats emerge in real time … Read More
What We Don’t Know We Don’t Know: The Power of EQ Assessments
From my associate Grant Tate. My phone rang on a quiet Tuesday morning a few months ago. On the other end was Thomas, a longtime colleague and one of the wisest consultants I know. He had recently taken a suite … Read More
Bridging the Hidden Gaps: What Managers Don’t Know and What It’s Costing You
The most dangerous knowledge gap in an organization isn’t likely to be technical. It’s strategic. And it’s hiding in plain sight—within your managers. While technology and markets evolve, one truth remains: organizations stall not from lack of expertise, but from … Read More
A Masterclass in Alienating Customers: 10 Common CX Blunders
From my associate Grant Tate. This month’s theme is customer experience. But instead of diving into data dashboards, journey mapping, or A.I. chatbots whispering sweet nothings to your customers, let’s take a stroll through the haunted amusement park of awful … Read More
The Everyday Election: Earning Long-Term Loyalty in the CX Era
From my associate, Janice Giannini. In any business, one truth remains: the customer has a choice. Unless you can dictate that choice, which few organizations can, you have to earn it every day, in every interaction. Customer experience is a daily election. … Read More
10 Overlooked Ways to Deliver Standout Customer Service (Items #41-#50)
While many organizations focus on the fundamentals of responsiveness and efficiency, the most distinguished companies elevate customer service by tapping into lesser-known yet impactful strategies. There are countless lists of the Top 10 Ways to move the needle for customer … Read More
Earning Trust in the Spotlight: How Great Leaders Shape Emotion and Momentum From Day One
The world often responds when a new leader enters the spotlight—whether in the Vatican, the C-suite, or a national government. Sometimes the reaction is grounded in hope, while in other cases it is marked by wariness, skepticism, or outright resistance. … Read More