August 2015. We were running a workshop with the CXO team of one of India’s top telcos.
When the discussion moved to 4G, the CEO cut-in: “Let’s move on. We don’t think India is ready for 4G yet”
A year later, Jio launched 4G across the country. The industry was disrupted.
One incumbent adapted and thrived. The other who thought India wasn’t ready is barely surviving.
***
This story is not about a missed opportunity or a strategy that failed.
It’s about leadership.
In boardrooms and in project rooms, some sentences set off alarm bells for me every time I hear them:
-We’ve always done it this way.
-Let’s not overcomplicate things.
-The team will figure it out.
-We’ll add the details later.
-This won’t work here.
They sound harmless. Sometimes even reassuring.
But underneath, they usually hide something deeper.
A blind spot that needs light. An assumption that needs testing.
What to do when you hear them?
Pause. Probe. Ask one more question. Gently.
Strategies rarely fail because of the market. Projects don’t usually fail because of the team.
They fail because leaders stop listening to the signals that the market - and their own people - are sending to them.
#Strategy #leadership #execution #ACutAbove