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Meet Jay Hidalgo

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Meet Jay Hidalgo

For over a decade, Jay Hidalgo has focused his work on helping leaders and teams gain clarity, alignment, and forward momentum through the disciplined use of the StratOp process, LifePlan, and executive coaching. Rather than offering advice from a distance, Jay partners closely with leaders to facilitate conversations that help them see their business, their leadership, and their future with greater precision.

Through StratOp, Jay has guided leadership teams in defining where they are, clarifying where they’re going, and building practical, actionable plans that drive results. His work doesn’t end with planning; it extends into execution by helping teams stay aligned, accountable, and focused on what matters most. Alongside this, his LifePlan work brings the same level of intentionality to the personal side of leadership, helping individuals align their professional responsibilities with a deeper sense of purpose and direction.

As an executive coach, Jay works one-on-one and with leadership teams to strengthen decision-making, foster healthy team dynamics, and develop the kind of leadership presence that organizations depend on, especially in seasons of growth, uncertainty, or transition.

With over 35 years of business experience, Jay brings both practical insight and a steady, guiding presence to his clients. His experience spans a wide range of organizations, including Herman Miller, Michelin, Oracle, Ariba, NCR Corporation, Toshiba, Rubbermaid, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Haworth, and Pitney Bowes.

At the core of his work is a simple belief: leaders don’t need more information—they need clarity, structure, and a trusted partner to help them think well and move forward with confidence.

When he’s not serving clients, Jay enjoys time with his wife, Janice, and their family in West Michigan. You’ll often find him outdoors hiking, biking, and kayaking, or relaxing with a bourbon, a cigar, and good conversation.

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Articles Written by Jay

Enneagram for Business Leaders: How to Be a Better Boss

What Is the Enneagram? In this day of self-awareness, more and more business leaders are seeing the value of helping their teams get more insight on how they are “wired.” The Enneagram has been a very helpful tool in doing so.  What is the Enneagram? Well, let’s start with what it isn’t: It isn’t just…

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Timeless Wisdom: Proverbs for Leaders (Part Two)

Last month, I published Part One of “Timeless Wisdom,” where we focused on four areas of King Solomon’s advice as recorded in the Jewish Scriptures. In case you didn’t read the post, we discussed the fact that this ancient monarch’s wisdom is as relevant for today’s business culture as it was back in his day.…

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How to Measure the Success of a Strategic Plan

What Makes for a Successful Strategic Plan? A few years ago, I showed up at the kickoff meeting of a strategic planning engagement I’d been hired to facilitate. One of the company owners pulled me aside before the beginning of the session and said, “Look, I don’t believe in these things. I’ve been through a…

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