Doug Thede

Shared goals don’t guarantee progress.

When teams are free but unsynchronized, effort turns into friction. This post reframes alignment as coordination – not control – and shows why true empowerment requires clarity in how we move, not just where we’re going.

Freedom is easy to declare…and hard to accept.

Leaders remove constraints, hang inspiring posters, and still watch teams hesitate. This post explores why autonomy fails without trust, and how fear – not policy – is often the real barrier to people running.

Control feels safe…until it quietly kills momentum.

After watching smart, capable teams stall, this post introduces the F.A.R. framework (Freedom, Alignment, and Responsibility) and explains why empowerment without structure creates drift, not growth.

“We went in a different direction.” Those dreaded words that signal a lost sale. I had just spent five months guiding the prospect through our sales process. I was responsive, professional, and asked all the right “what” questions: They said all the right things. I was confident and had “committed” the deal to forecast. I

“Why did you do that?” Five words that can mean, “I’m curious” or “I’m coming for you.” We’ve all heard it. We’ve all said it. Sometimes it’s a genuine question. Sometimes it’s code for “You better have a good explanation.” “Why” is supposed to lead us to understanding. But more often than we realize, it triggers