One of the top business and leadership experts in the world
Gainesville, FL
Joined September 2008
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@Thinkers360 named me the 2026 Thought #Leader of the Year. 35 years of work across 20 countries shaped the ideas they recognized. Grateful to every client and colleague who was part of that journey, and to my team whose commitment to delivering great work made this possible.
The November #Leadership Development Digest brings together ideas from 24 contributors on leadership, innovation, and performance.
I’m pleased to be part of this month’s issue. I think you’ll find several ideas worth considering.
Read the full issue: juliewinklegiulioni.com/blog…
Years ago, a #customer service expert taught me to notice the little things businesses overlook. I’ve never evaluated customer experience the same way since.
In this week’s article, I share what I learned and how to spot frustrations your customers face.
linkedin.com/pulse/whats-pos…
I’ve worked with #leadership teams that spend months developing strategic plans, only to end up with documents so complicated that people struggle to use them.
In this clip, I share a simple analogy about effective strategy.
Watch the free #webinar here: go.johnspence.com/strategict…
A #strategic plan can take months to develop, but if people struggle to understand it, they’re unlikely to use it.
I’ve seen organizations invest enormous effort in planning, only to return to #business as usual once the sessions are over.
Last week, I spent a day working with Kirk Leeds and the senior leadership team at the @IowaSoybeans.
We discussed #stewardship and what it takes to build an organization that continues to thrive long after any one #leader has moved on.
We discussed developing #leaders who take genuine ownership of the organization’s future.
I’ve always believed that one of the greatest responsibilities of #leadership is to leave an organization stronger than you found it.
My thanks to Kirk and the entire team for inviting me.
When I prepare for an association keynote, I spend time with the organizers learning what their members are dealing with. I want the presentation to address their actual challenges and give them ideas they can use.
More about my work with associations:
go.johnspence.com/associatio…
Last week I hosted a webinar for leadership teams making strategic decisions for 2027. In this clip, I share the equation that summarizes much of what I have learned about #strategy over 30 years.
Watch the full #webinar for the four criteria behind it:
go.johnspence.com/strategict…
A senior #team can be full of talented executives and still struggle to get the results it should. This week’s blog draws on my new #executive guide, Leading Together, written to help senior teams examine how well they work together.
linkedin.com/pulse/how-effec…
I’ve seen leaders avoid difficult conversations because they don’t want to damage the relationship. Meanwhile, the employee continues to struggle, & colleagues carry the extra workload. There is a big difference between being nice & being kind. Kindness sometimes requires candor.
Behind the scenes with the team prepping for yesterday’s strategic thinking #webinar. As you can tell, we had some fun.
Thanks to everyone who joined. I hope you left with ideas for next year’s planning.
Special thanks to Adriana and Domingo. I couldn’t do this without them.
Experience matters, but years in business don’t automatically make someone a better strategic thinker.
In this week’s blog, I share four levels of strategic thinking and why they are important for developing an effective #strategy.
linkedin.com/pulse/better-st…
Tomorrow, at 12 PM Eastern, I’ll be discussing these ideas during my free webinar, How to Be a More Strategic Thinker. We’ll spend time on how you can turn strategic insights into competitive #strategies that give your organization a meaningful advantage.
go.johnspence.com/howtoprepa…
You can have excellent data, experienced people, and a carefully developed strategic plan and still make the wrong decisions.
As you prepare for 2027, I encourage you to challenge the assumptions behind your current #strategy.
Register here: go.johnspence.com/howtoprepa…
One question I encourage leaders to ask during strategic planning: what should we stop doing so we can do fewer things better?
I am hosting a free 60-minute #webinar on how to be a more strategic thinker.
October 22 | 12 PM Eastern:
go.johnspence.com/howtoprepa…
Some of the most expensive problems in an #organization begin with a conversation that someone decided not to have. My new article is on how to prepare for those conversations and how to influence people when you do not have formal #authority.
johnspence.com/difficult-con…
Saying no is still hard for me. Someone asks me to #mentor them or join a board and I want to say yes, but time is a #resource I cannot get back. Josh and I talk about pruning on the new episode of Notes for an Awesome Life.
pod.link/1845676457/episode/…
Your team learns very quickly what gets taken seriously inside your #organization.
When you set clear expectations and follow through, people know where they stand. They are also more willing to hold each other accountable, because the same #expectations apply to everyone.
