Organizations transform from the inside out.
For 25 years I've worked beside CEOs as their internal counterpart — untangling operations, modernizing technology, and building cultures where people drive performance — so the chief executive can stay focused on the outside world.
People, process, and technology — treated as one system.
Every organizational problem I've ever been handed turned out to live in the seams between these three. Treating them separately is why most transformation efforts stall.
Process
I've streamlined the operations that make or save the most money — sales pipelines, receivables, service desks, PMOs — and run maturity assessments that turn "how are we doing?" into a number leadership can act on. At one data center, that discipline improved operational maturity more than 900% in two and a half years.
Technology
I've moved companies from server closets to fully cloud-based digital workplaces — Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 rollouts, enterprise collaboration, intranets, and the unglamorous administration that keeps it all running. Technology projects are organizational change projects; that's the part most implementations miss.
People
Culture is the multiplier on everything else. I've coached executives, brokered the crucial conversations leaders dread, facilitated councils that aligned warring departments, and built environments where employees act like owners — because engagement you have to push isn't engagement.
"The best leaders see success as a shared endeavor. Sometimes a second pair of eyes, alternative ideas, and objective feedback can make all of the difference."
"Sam's ability to assess the needs of my business was amazing. I had some concerns about what was happening in my practice. I met with Sam and we discussed my concerns… he then presented me with a proposal beyond what I had thought was possible." Ryan Brown
"Sam sees the bigger picture and positions himself as an invested, conscientious and responsible partner. He looks at issues from the customer's view and tailors solutions to meet customer expectations." Norm Berlinski
Ideas I keep coming back to.
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Great Organizations Are Built Inside Out
Can't move the needle on performance? Here's a counter-intuitive suggestion: stop pushing.
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Why Startup CEOs Fail to Become Growth CEOs
The skills that start a company are not the skills that scale one.
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The Lumberjack Competition
Two logging companies, ten people each, and a lesson about where output really comes from.
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Who Is the New CEO?
On Vineet Nayar and the quietly changing role of the chief executive.
The Magic of Inside-Out Transformation
The LEEP method — Leadership, Empowerment, Environment, Performance — for transforming an organization in the order that actually works, without forcing compliance. Free to read, no email required.
Read the eBook (PDF)I take very few engagements.
My consulting practice is intentionally small. I accept a limited number of Virtual 2ndCEO advisory engagements each year, at a rate of $925 per hour.
How engagements work