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Proven Chaos

Bringing Calm to the Chaos of Business

Business Lessons & Insights

Constant learning and innovation creates lessons and insights for CEOs. Each week, ProvenChaos publishes the lessons and insights from the week. Gleaned from hours of weekly conversations with CEOs, named CEO Insights, to our “Saturday Coffee: 3 Business Lessons Learned” from our guests on the Best Places to Lead show to unique business ideas that Proven Choas is thinking about around the business world.

The Invisible Operating System Running Your Company (And Why Most Leaders Don’t Know It Exists)

Why your smartest employees still make dumb decisions The quarterly planning meeting was supposed to be routine. Fifteen of the company’s brightest minds sat around the conference table: data scientists with PhDs, product managers from top-tier companies, engineers who’d built platforms serving millions of users. Combined, they represented decades of experience and hundreds of successful…

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I Said ‘I Don’t Know’ in a Board Meeting. What Happened Next Will Change How You Think About Leadership Forever

Everything you’ve been taught about leadership is a lie. The secret to multiplying your influence isn’t having all the answers—it’s having the courage to admit you don’t. Walk into any boardroom, and you’ll see the same performance: leaders projecting certainty, speaking with conviction, positioning themselves as the experts who can solve every problem. This theater…

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Stop Trying to Coach Everyone: Why Some Employees Can’t Be Saved

Every leader knows the feeling: you’ve given feedback, set clear expectations, and invested countless hours coaching a struggling employee—but nothing changes. Welcome to “The Second Chance Conundrum,” where well-intentioned leaders keep giving “just one more opportunity” until it becomes five, then ten. Research shows only 62% of employees respond positively to coaching, meaning you’re wasting 40% of your efforts on people who simply won’t change. Meanwhile, your high performers are 2.5x more likely to leave when they see poor performance rewarded with endless patience. This article reveals the hidden cost of uncoachable employees, how to distinguish between “can’t” vs “won’t” behaviors, and a proven 30-60-90 day framework for making performance-based decisions instead of emotion-based ones. Stop feeding The Second Chance Conundrum and start building teams where the right people can thrive.

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How to Stop Accepting Mediocrity: The Price Tag Principle Every Leader Needs

American organizations lose $576 billion annually due to lack of accountability. Your company is paying this tax on mediocrity right now. In our previous piece, “The Executive’s Dilemma: How to Actually Get the Excellence You Demand,” we explored why simply demanding excellence isn’t enough to transform organizational performance. But there’s a critical missing piece that…

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The Executive’s Dilemma: How to Actually Get the Excellence You Demand

You’re probably rewarding the exact behavior that’s destroying your competitive edge. That underperforming manager you’ve been avoiding? They just cost you your three best people. Here’s the brutal truth about why 57% of employees quit their bosses—and the Performance Paradox that’s sabotaging every leader who demands excellence but tolerates mediocrity.

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CEO Insights: 2025 and the Age of AI

My thinking about what 2025 might mean… https://youtu.be/aVuJ0Dtx2fU Additional Resources Watch the first twenty minutes of this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj5fyDX01v8 Microsoft CEO said, “Agents will replace all software.”  https://youtu.be/uGOLYz2pgr8 Eric Schmidt Believes AI is Under hyped https://youtu.be/Ay9webRisSg The Road to SuperIntelligence https://youtu.be/zg-HnmXPeVY Alpha Go – Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXuK6gekU1Y How o3 is Crazy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAgIh4aFawU Tools Use Bolt.new or…

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CEO Insights: Shut Up & Think

Silence teaches lessons, and September whispered: success isn’t about speaking volumes but voicing value. As Q4 looms, are you merely running or sprinting towards world-class? It’s time to reflect, revere, and redefine your game. Dive in for insights on excellence, change, and carving your unique stage.

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3 Business Lessons on Building an Impactful Brand that Resonates with Erik Cabral

The digital era has democratized the field of branding, allowing everyone the opportunity to craft a brand narrative that resonates with people, establishes trust, and lays the groundwork for successful interactions with employees, clients, and partners. But with these increased opportunities come significant challenges. Many leaders struggle with this crucial aspect of their professional identity,…

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CEO Insights: Close to the Customer, Close to Success

Ever questioned your leadership focus? Delve into the importance of connecting directly with customers, the distinct roles of managers vs. C-suite, and the profound wisdom from mentors. Discover why clarity, execution, and eliminating negativity matter. CEO Insights provides the guidance to elevate your leadership approach. Read on to learn how simple conversations can transform your business.

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3 Business Lessons on Balancing Micro-Management and KPI-Driven Leadership with Nellie Akalp

Maintaining a delicate balance between not micromanaging while still managing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is a challenge that many leaders face. It’s a scenario where the need for data-driven decision-making can sometimes clash with the desire to foster team engagement and avoid the perception of a hovering boss. Striking this equilibrium is the hallmark of…

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3 Business Lessons on Achieving a Stress-Free Leadership Mindset with Thomas Brainsky

One of the vital aspects of an effective leader is the ability to cultivate a self-reliant and capable team. It’s a characteristic that provides the foundation for business resilience and growth, as well as personal freedom for the leader. Being able to take time away from the office without constant worry is not a luxury;…

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3 Business Lessons on Recognizing and Harnessing Your Superpower with Kara Brown

In the constantly evolving world of entrepreneurship, we encounter new challenges, innovative technologies, and changing consumer needs every day. It takes a unique blend of skill, passion, and strategy to navigate this dynamic world and carve out a niche. What often distinguishes successful business leaders from others is their ability to identify their unique strengths,…

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3 Business Lessons on Building Trust and Transparency in a High-Growth Business with Tom Vranas

Organizational transparency has emerged as a vital aspect of modern business operations, driving engagement and promoting trust among team members. However, achieving true transparency, let alone radical transparency can be a daunting task for many organizations. The challenge often lies in navigating the delicate balance between openness and discretion, especially concerning topics such as revenue,…

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3 Business Lessons From David Walens on Scaling Businesses with Profitability Mindset

Scaling a company is an exhilarating yet complex journey. It begins with a vision, a great product or service, and a core team passionate about making a mark. However, as the business starts to grow, so do the challenges. Processes need to be standardized, roles need to be defined, and the company culture needs to…

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3 Business Lessons on Balancing People, Customers, and Business with Megan Bowen

In the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of business, leaders are often faced with the challenge of making decisions that strike a balance between the needs of their team, customers, and the business as a whole. It’s a fine line to walk, and many find themselves erring on one side or the other, creating potential pitfalls for…

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3 Business Lessons on Cultivating a Successful Remote Work Culture with Meighan Newhouse

In an ever-evolving digital world, understanding the mechanics of effective remote work is essential. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing an industry expert on this topic, Meg Newhouse, Co-Founder and SVP of Inspirant Group. Under her leadership, Inspirant has earned recognition as a Built-in Best Fully Remote Startups To Work For 2023, a Great…

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CEO Insights: The Three Disciplines of Financial Success

Unleash the Power of CEO Insights: From thought-provoking questions to redefining meetings, firing well to driving action, this week’s blog delves into the secrets of effective leadership. Discover how questioning skills can unlock better answers, why excessive meetings hinder communication, and the impact of strategic firing on hiring. Embrace profitable planning, overcome obstacles, and own your day for success.

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The Illusion of Business Best Practices: The Contrarian CEO’s Guide

In a world obsessed with ‘best practices,’ I encourage CEOs to look beyond this one-size-fits-all approach. Every company is unique with its own values, culture, market, and challenges. As such, what might work wonders for one company could prove disastrous for another. In this article, I challenge the conventional wisdom surrounding ‘best practices’ and guide you towards creating a business strategy that truly aligns with your unique company. It’s time to move beyond copying and start innovating. After all, true leadership isn’t about following the crowd, but about blazing your own trail.

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3 Business Lessons on Avoiding the High Achiever’s Trap as an Entrepreneur with David Molenda

If you were the person in school who regularly did the entire project because you couldn’t trust your group mates, you’re likely a high achiever. Similarly, if you’ve made the decision to launch your own business– and actually executed that decision– you’re likely a high achiever. High achievers accomplish many things in life, but too…

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Unlearning Addition: How Subtraction Can Propel Your Progress

Here’s what I’m seeing amid the economic turbulence recently.  I’m seeing the same pattern, so eyes wide open and pay attention. Here’s the issue with us high-achievers. We’re problem solvers by nature, constantly striving to “figure things out.” Yet, our toolbox only contains one tool: addition. Despite your brilliance, you haven’t figured out the power…

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3 Business Lessons on Developing An Efficiency Mindset to Keep The Important Things in Perspective with Tyler Pigott

Launching a business is an exciting accomplishment. To be the captain of your own ship and steer in the direction you want to go, without having to worry about someone more senior than you suddenly stepping in, is a freedom many dreams about and many pursue with great success. It can be hard, though, to…

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3 Business Lessons on Resilience, A Leadership Competency

There are many schools of thought on what it takes to be a leader. Some are more helpful than others, even though they all generally agree upon communication, problem-solving, and strategic thinking as necessary skills. But what about resilience? An often underappreciated skill, the American Psychological Association defines resilience as “the process and outcome of…

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3 Business Lessons on Using Frameworks to Create a Predictable Environment for Your Teams

There are two things we know to be fairly true in this world. First, people love games. Sports, video, board, you name it, there is a group of fans rallying behind the game. Second, people hate business– mostly because their experiences have been unpredictable. As leaders, one of our core responsibilities is to create a…

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3 Business Lessons from Hamza Khan and Cameron Allahverdi on Leading with Vulnerability

Running a business is hard. It turns out that running and growing a business that your grandfather passed down to your father, who then passed it on to you, doesn’t have to be harder. This is especially true when you are Hamza Khan, whose family business, LoveUrns, makes people its priority. In many ways, this…

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3 Business Lessons on Leveraging Community to Optimize Your Business with Pablo Gonzalez

Apps like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram have fundamentally shifted the marketing landscape (and that’s only naming the most popular of the bunch). Now, organizations small and large are able to go straight to the consumer by funneling multichannel content straight into our omnipresent devices.  Marketing firms of course, know this and have long since shifted…

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3 Business Lessons from Mark Herschberg on Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning

Anyone working in employee engagement and leadership development spaces regularly espouses the importance of providing timely and relevant feedback. Feedback is absolutely an important way of recognizing the accomplishments of and giving course corrections to a team member. However, what is often minimized (if not outright overlooked), is the role of feedback in creating a…

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3 Business Lessons from Amanda Holmes on How to Use Our Time with Intention and Increase Productivity

It rarely feels like there are enough hours in a day to accomplish everything on our “To Do” list at work. There are even less hours when you factor in your personal “To Do” list. Not only do you need to review last quarter’s income statement, HR data, customer satisfaction data, and prepare a report…

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3 Business Lessons from Brendan Kumarasamy on How to Build Your Mental Agility and Become an Expert Communicator

Surveys regularly report that around three-quarters of people are afraid of public speaking. We also know–mainly from checking how, many meetings are on our calendars–that leaders regularly speak publicly to an audience of stakeholders. No matter your role in an organization, getting things done requires you to overcome that fear to deliver clear and effective…

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3 Business Lessons from Nathan Adams on Cultivating a Values-Driven Culture

The initial COVID outbreak had many consequences, one of which was forcing us to pause, reflect, and pivot in both our personal lives and in business. Leaders of companies large and small strategized day and night to reimagine their organization’s ways of working. For many, the outcomes of the pivot have been overwhelmingly positive and…

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3 Business Lessons from Brad Whitchurch About Building World-Class Relationships to Drive Success

Most people mistakenly think that if you have an innovative product that solves a problem, it’s enough to build a thriving business. However, at the heart of every successful business are lasting relationships– with your teams and with your clients.  I brought in Brad Whitchurch, founder of Seal Shield, whose mission is to develop technology…

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3 Business Lessons from Dai Manuel About Having a Mindset of a Champion When it Comes to Change!

Change is hard work, so hard in fact that it often feels like an impossible task. It can feel especially impossible when we get stuck in a cycle of thinking things like, “This is just who I am” or “It’s always been this way.”  We brought in Dai Manuel, lifestyle mentor, fitness coach, and author…

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Yes and…

You know you get in your way, right? We’ve talked about this before. And, you know what I see clearly in you when your team is stuck? It’s the “No but…” syndrome. You say “No, but…” to nearly every idea coming across your desk. It might feel good at the moment. It shows you are…

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Business Insights to Win in 2023

If there was ever a time to stay humble and hungry, 2023 is that time. COVID provided an opportunity for “instant geniuses” over the last few years when the government poured ~ $5T of free money into the economy. Inflation, rising interest rates, and recession abruptly shut the easy opportunity window. Success is available, but the margin of error has narrowed significantly in 2023.

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3 Business Lessons from Special Forces Operative Derrick McManus About Human Durability

As leaders, we often face challenges that test our ability to keep our heads in the midst of chaos. Even those of us who have experienced success in business will encounter difficulties like problems we’re ill-equipped to solve or difficult conversations.  To help you navigate these instances, we brought in Derrick McManus, Founder of the…

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3 Business Lessons Learned from Steve Anderson about How to Drive Your Business to Success, The Amazon Way

Business leaders would die to know how Jeff Bezos catapulted Amazon to its behemoth retail success and how the company became the undisputed leader in e-commerce (and other verticals). We’ve discovered that the best way to come close to emulating Amazon’s success is to study the frameworks they used from the beginning.  But how? These…

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3 Business Lessons Learned from Lindsay Johnson about How to Ethically and Responsibly Become Successful

Responsible leaders work hard to make their businesses profitable, take care of their employees, and to care for the planet. It’s crucial that they find the best ways to balance this triple bottom line. However, many leaders struggle because they prioritize the bank account over their people and turn a blind eye to compromising the…

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3 Business Lessons Learned from Jay Wilkinson about How to Grow Your Business and Do more Good

When workers and consumers prefer purpose-driven brands, leaders aim for the triple bottom line—people, planet, and profit. This approach drives sustainable growth.  Unfortunately, it’s hardwired into many leaders’ mindsets that doing business is simply crushing the competition and making a lot of money.  Fortunately, we have amazing human beings and leaders like Jay Wilkinson, whose…

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3 Business Lessons Learned from Kim Bach on How Feedback Drives Performance and Growth

In building high-performance culture companies, leaders want to promote values that instill accountability and drive growth. This can only happen with a timely and consistent environment for giving and receiving feedback. Many leaders are simply inconsistent with their feedback, though. Usually, it’s because they ignore or undervalue it or overdo the process and come on…

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3 Business Lessons from Matt Foxhall about How Hiring and Culture Impacts Organizational Transformations

With employee turnover accounting for around $1 trillion in costs for American businesses, hiring and retaining superstar employees in any business is an essential process that leaders should take seriously.  Hiring the right people to work for any organization or department saves resources and helps leaders reach goals. But the Great Resignation created ripples among…

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The December 1st Curse

So, it’s here: December 1st. There are so many celebrating the end of 2020 and the changes it will bring. Unfortunately, the only thing that will change come January 1 is the page on the calendar. 2020 has nothing to do with your luck or your circumstances. Writing 2021 does nothing for you. it. It…

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From Survive to Thrive to Accelerate: How CEOs can Win in the New Economy

Jerry Macnamara shares insights, ideas, and questions CEOs should consider as the world starts to “open for business.” Now, more than ever, we need to lead. Our people and our economy require us to be our best. https://vimeo.com/413068146 If you enjoyed the insights shared here and have questions, we invite you to join our Wednesday…

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Brilliant on the Basics

At ProvenChaos, we help companies adhere to six brilliant basics to create a framework for operational excellence. If you are brilliant on these basics, execution is way easier. https://www.slideshare.net/JerryMacnamara/brilliant-on-the-business-basics-operational-overview Which basic principle are you crushing?

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You are Worth It

Have you ever been frustrated and wanted to give up on what you’re chasing? I know I have. I know it’s Motivation Monday morning and the temporary struggle may feel insurmountable. Here’s what I’ve come to know: whether it is fear of failure or frustration at a lack of traction or anxiety over what success…

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Celebrate

In our always-on world, you can easily fall prey to the hustle and bustle of “what’s next, what’s next” type of achievement. While you may feel awesome knocking down your to-do lists and objectives, sustained spirals of motivation, happiness and engagement come from recognizing AND savoring the progress forward. If you break down the huge,…

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