Strategy does not fail in execution first. It fails in logic. What usually happens is this: teams build something that looks coherent on paper, defensible in meetings, and impressive in presentations, only to discover later that coherence is not the same as structural validity. At that point, execution is no longer strategy. It is recovery. And recovery is always more […]
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After more than 30 years of advising business owners, leadership teams, and organizations, one pattern remains remarkably consistent: strategies rarely fail because of execution. We like to blame execution because it is a visible, actionable scapegoat. It suggests the team simply lacked the “hustle” or the incentives weren’t sharp enough. But the truth is more structural. Strategies fail because of […]
One of the persistent gaps in sales development is the assumption that sales excellence is primarily a matter of frameworks, models, and conceptual instruction. Frameworks are useful. They provide language, structure, and discipline for thinking about growth. But they are not, by themselves, proof of commercial capability. Sales leadership is ultimately validated in a different environment—one defined by market pressure, […]
The Philippines remains Asia’s Catholic heartland, yet the number of people attending Sunday Mass has plummeted from 64% in 1991 to just 38% today. I call this the “Barabbas Moment.“ In the biblical narrative, the crowd was given a choice between the radical, transformative Truth and the immediate, violent “fix” of the insurrectionist Barabbas. They chose the tactic over the transformation. Today, […]
In an earlier piece (From Sari-Sari Stores to Global Systems: Why Trust Matters, Inquirer.net, April 17, 2026), I argued that trust is the original infrastructure of commerce, and that organizations most likely to endure are those that treat it as a governance system rather than a values statement. But there is a dimension worth pressing further: if trust is the […]
We tend to explain today’s instability in geopolitical terms—conflict zones, trade routes, shifting alliances. But beneath all of that runs a deeper strain: trust. When trust breaks at the level of nations and institutions, the consequences don’t stay abstract. They show up in higher fuel costs, tighter margins, and consumers whose purchasing power steadily erodes. We are, in many ways, […]
ER Rollan, CEO of Growsari and a winner of the 5th Mansmith Innovation Awards, has been transforming the micro-retail landscape in the Philippines. By leveraging technology, he empowers small sari-sari stores, streamlines distribution, and creates a scalable digital ecosystem. In this interview, he shares the assumptions he challenged, the pains he sought to solve, and how he turned innovation into […]
(Photo source: Pixabay) I’m not the type who usually writes love letters. I measure things in KPIs and deadlines, not feelings. I notice inefficiency, not poetry. And yet, here I am, writing during a flight, not to a person, but to an airline. Singapore Airlines. You’ve taught me that superior customer experience (CX) isn’t just about getting from point A […]
Marketing columns usually focus on positioning, differentiation, and shareholder value. This Valentine’s Day, I want to talk about brand equity, not in the marketplace, but at home. It’s where I learned the true meaning of trust long before I began teaching it. Before my wife, Chiqui, became my partner in life, she was my first early adopter. She saw intrinsic value […]
Earlier this year, Mansmith and Fielders, Inc. received the Agora Distinction Award for Nation-Building Marketing Leadership from the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA). The recognition was unexpected and humbling. As the first private company to receive it in PMA’s 70-year history, it reminded us that our work has always been guided by purpose. Purpose in marketing doesn’t only strengthen a business, […]