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Practical solutions, expert analysis and proven frameworks on strategy, risk, governance and leadership.
Board’s role in risk management
In the cattle corridor of Uganda, there’s an old saying: “He who leaves his kraal gate open invites the hyenas to feast.” One evening in...
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Lay the groundwork before crafting a strategy
I once halted a strategy retreat 12 minutes in. The CEO had flown all his regional heads to a lakeside resort, loaded PowerPoint decks, and...
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Mastering Fraud Detection: How Data Analytics Can Protect Your Organization
In today’s fast-paced digital world, fraud has evolved into a sophisticated threat that no organization can afford to ignore. From...
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The 3 leadership habits that kill momentum in your organization
Five years ago, while coaching senior managers at a pension fund in Uganda, we launched an ambitious transformation program. The board had...
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Is Your Internal Audit Team Overlooking AI Risks?
In early 2024, a global bank’s AI-powered hiring tool was caught red-handed: it was systematically filtering out female applicants. Not...
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Our pentest approach. Why most risk management teams are NOT future ready
You have a penetration testing process. You have a risk management department. You have an internal audit team. Yet you are still...
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Winning in the boardroom
In 2008, I sat at the back of the Institute boardroom, clutching my notebook like a talisman. I wasn’t a board member yet. I was just...
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Limitations of the R × I assessment and what to do about it
To unlearn bad habits, first experience them. I have shared a lot about the RxI scores. R × I — Risk × Impact — was invented to make risk...
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The quiet power of boards: why ethics crumble when the board is asleep.
Five years ago, I sat across a board chair in the agriculture value addition space. The CEO had been sacked after a procurement scandal...
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The expired map are you the risk manager still using an expired map?
I visited Karamoja in 2017 as part of the World Health Organization (WHO), anti-fraud risk management experts. In the evening, we had...
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Playing to win: what strategy is and is not?
Oil of Olay was a tired lotion brand of no edge, no sizzle. Just memories. Yet Lafley didn’t see a product. He saw a strategic choice....
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What makes a good strategy?
This five-question model didn’t just save a dying brand, but it created a $2.5B market leader. Because strategy is not fluff, it’s about...
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The deal that nearly bought my soul – when a gunman confronted me
Every entrepreneur talks about success, but no one tells you the price tags attached. Before I pivoted to strategy, risk, and leadership, I...
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UGAFODE Microfinance didn’t just grow – it transformed and continues to thrive. Here’s why.
Most organizations don’t grow because they don’t change. They tweak processes, play with new products, or shift people around, but real...
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I use the VAKS model—Values, Attitudes, Knowledge, and Skills.
When I walk into an organization to drive culture transformation, I don’t start with posters, mission statements, or flashy words. I...
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DOGE moved the Cheeze! what next?
In Spencer Johnson's "Who Moved My Cheese?", we encounter two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two little people, Hem and Haw, navigating a maze...
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Misaligned priorities lead to rowing in circles hence poor strategy execution
If you are not progressing as you should, the issue is not strategy. It is your execution discipline. In my experience, many leaders know...
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Why They Stay Stuck And Why Others Don’t
Let’s talk about two managers: Peter and Alice. Both joined the same company, at the same time, in the same role, and were talented. Ten...
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Are you “most organizations” or a special organization?
Most organizations operate like a sports car with the emergency brake on. Lots of energy and time are spent on hiding flaws, trying to...
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Stop Praising Mediocrity: Trophies Aren't for Showing Up
"Celebrating mediocrity isn’t encouragement—it’s an apology for setting the bar too low." Companies love to shower applause on anyone who...
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Why your open-door policy slams innovation shut
"An open door doesn't guarantee an open mind; sometimes it just lets in the draft." CEOs and managers love to boast about their open-door...
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Neglect creates problems.
What you see in these images is an unfiltered view of neglect, pure and simple. No glossy edits, no sugar-coating. The first image shows...
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Stop preaching culture and start enforcing it
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most leaders talk endlessly about culture, but they don’t actually do anything to enforce it. You think...
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Let me share something personal.
A while back, I was working on a big project. I was so hopeful about it. It was the kind of thing that could change everything for me. I...
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