John Manning's Blog

As a CEO, you’re the driver of your company’s vision. But here’s a tough question: could you also be the roadblock slowing it down?

We see it all the time. Even the most capable, visionary leaders unintentionally create bottlenecks—holding back the very growth they’re working so hard to achieve.

How CEOs Become the Bottleneck

If your organization is hitting plateaus, missing opportunities, or struggling to scale, ask yourself: is the problem out there… or is it starting at the top?

Here are a fe...

Even the smartest business strategy can unravel if your team isn’t aligned and engaged. The missing link? Employee commitment. Commitment can’t be mandated—but it can be cultivated. The most successful organizations build cultures of Positive Accountability: where strategic goals are clear, and people are excited to achieve them.

But before you get there, you need to know where your organization stands. Are you leading a Casual, Compliant, Chaotic, or Committed culture?

Why Culture Matters...

As a leader, your team is one of your most important assets—and responsibilities. They’re the ones who take your vision and make it real. Their success is your success. So if you want to lead a high-performing team, you need to build a strong foundation from the start.

Here are three practical, proven tips to help you get your team-building efforts right from the beginning—plus one actionable step for each to help you move from insight to impact.

1. It Starts With YOU!

Great teamwork begins at the ...

There’s no secret formula to leadership—but there is a common denominator: exceptional communication. Whether you’re commanding a battlefield, running a boardroom, coaching a team, or navigating tough family dynamics, the most effective leaders know how to express themselves in a way that builds trust, motivates others, and drives results.

Want to level up your leadership? Mastering the art of communication is non-negotiable.

[Take 5 Minutes: How strong are your communication skills? Try MAP’s fre...

Let’s be real—most of us love being right. There’s something satisfying about proving our point, feeling validated, and showing that we know what we’re talking about. But when being right becomes the goal instead of actually solving the problem, things can go sideways fast. Arguments get personal, egos take over, and suddenly, we’re more focused on defending our stance than finding the best solution. That’s when teamwork takes a hit, morale drops, and progress stalls.

So how do we stop that from ...

When things go sideways, it’s easy to get stuck in reaction mode. You’re putting out fires, answering a million questions, and just trying to stay afloat. But here’s the thing: great leaders don’t just react; they think ahead and make moves that set them (and their teams) up for success. It’s all about shifting from survival mode to strategy mode.

So, What Does It Mean to Be Proactive?

Being proactive means focusing on what really matters—the key strategies that actually drive results. Instead of ...

Keeping your team focused and aligned with big goals is important, whether times are smooth sailing or a bit rocky. When uncertainty hits — whether it’s political shifts, economic instability, or a fast-changing market — it’s easy to want to micromanage. But let’s be honest: that’s not the way to go. Instead, creating a culture of positive accountability can keep your team motivated, resilient, and productive.

Think about the last time someone gave you a genuine shouto...

We all have bad habits—nobody’s perfect. But what happens when your bad habits, especially those tied to your leadership style, undermine workplace productivity?

You probably already know the answer: these habits can be problematic—even catastrophic. Yet, so many leaders assume their roles with blinders on, unaware of the habits they need to break, how to break them, or the impact these habits have on productivity—or all of the above!

The good news? If you’ve fallen into the all-too-common “bad ...

Change is always happening. It’s a fact of life. And as a business owner or leader in your organization, one of your primary roles is managing change, requiring you to be adaptable in the face of ever-presenting changes. So how agile are you? Answer this honestly because how well you exercise your aptitude for adaptability is directly tied to your ability to reframe, reset and respond in ways that move you out of ruts, drive change and get results.

Here are some questions to help explore this to...

It’s likely that you and your team have a lot of great ideas for the upcoming year. Well, even the most brilliant ideas can quickly turn into business nightmares if they aren’t backed by the right strategy and support. When businesses jump into planning without a clear framework and some key reinforcements, the initial excitement can fade as projects face unforeseen obstacles, mismanagement or resource constraints. Proper alignment, structure, and support systems are essential to transform innov...