The Journal

Tools & frameworks for leaders.

Field notes on coaching, strategy, and leading well — written by Jay and selected colleagues.

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Strategic Planning for Startup Businesses

Gain a clear perspective and create actionable goals through strong strategic planning for your startup business. Learn the process for yourself.

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Cultivating a Culture of Gratitude in Business: Practical Ways to Appreciate Vendors, Staff, Partners, and Competitors

Bulgari is an Italian fashion house known for luxury jewelry, fragrances, and leather goods. Over the years, high-profile clients like Elizabeth Taylor and Ingrid Bergman enhanced the mystique. Prices are on the, shall we say, high side. In 2014, Bulgari sold a bejeweled bottle of Opera Prima perfume for $250,000. Today, their Octo Tourbillon watch…

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graphic of a chart, gears, target, and pencil with a sticky note that says Strategic Planning Process

The Strategic Plan Template for Small Businesses

Discover what you need to know about small business strategic planning! A good strategic plan template can make strategic planning for small business easier.

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a graphic showing success as a series of mountains to summit

Strategy Summits: A Simple Process for Retaining Clients

More than just “triage and treatment” to patch up problems, a Strategy Summit generates action steps for continuous improvement. 

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The image shows a diagram of a football play drawn on a chalkboard. The "X"s represent the defensive players, and the "O"s represent the offensive players. The arrows indicate the planned routes and movements of the players.

How Often Should a Company Revise Its Strategic Plan?

Short answer: As often as it takes to win the game. The year is 1928. The rivalry is epic. Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish are being shut out by Army’s unbeaten Black Knights. What does legendary coach Knute Rockne do at halftime? He changes his strategic plan.  As you may know, Rockne motivated his team to…

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Winston Churchill

Failure isn’t final!

Taken in 1941, it’s one of history’s most iconic photos. Known around the world, the portrait dubbed the Roaring Lion captured the inner strength and indomitable fortitude of Sir Winston Churchill. But ironically, Churchill’s inspiring pose almost didn’t happen. For starters, the photo session did not go well. “You may take one photo,” Churchill told photographer Yousuf Karsh as…

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