Stop calling it strategy. Most leaders are not doing strategy; they are managing a glorified to-do list.
In this episode of Reflect Forward, I sit down with Simon Severino, author of Strategy Sprints, TEDx speaker, Forbes contributor, and CEO of Strategy Sprints, to talk about how to lead with clarity, focus, and speed. Simon helps leaders design an operating rhythm that turns lofty visions into measurable weekly wins, all without adding more meetings or complexity.
Simon has spent over two decades helping leaders enter markets, scale effectively, and remain competitive in uncertain times. His Strategy Sprints method replaces long planning cycles with focused 90-day sprints that keep teams learning, adapting, and moving fast. It is a system designed for real-life scenarios, where uncertainty is constant and leaders cannot afford to wait for perfect information.
Simon reminds us that strategy is not about being right; it is about learning fast. His Focus Card is a simple but powerful tool: one page for your strategy, one tab for weekly metrics. Every Monday, teams set their priorities. Every Friday, they review what is working and what is not. It is a rhythm that keeps everyone focused and aligned, turning strategy from theory into practice.
Simon also challenges leaders to build like Lego, not Duplo, modular, flexible, and fast to reconfigure. When markets shift, teams that move in small, adaptable units thrive. That mindset is not just tactical, it is cultural. It encourages curiosity, experimentation, and speed.
The beauty of Simon’s method is its simplicity. It does not add complexity; it removes it. The Strategy Sprint approach helps leaders focus on what matters, cut through noise, and lead teams that win through clarity and cadence.
My Takeaways
1. Plans list tasks. Strategy makes bets. Great leaders take responsibility for the assumptions they make.
2. Measure both cause and effect. Track the activities and the results they create.
3. Shorten your feedback loop. A Monday and Friday rhythm beats quarterly reviews every time.
4. Build modular. Smaller, faster systems are easier to adapt when the market shifts.
5. Seek truth, not validation. Try to invalidate your assumptions weekly. If they hold up, you are truly winning.
When I asked Simon what he wished leaders understood about strategy, he said:
“Do not try to prove you are right. Try to prove yourself wrong. If your assumptions survive, then you are winning.”
And if you want to bring more focus and agility to your team, try Simon’s Focus Card exercise. You might be surprised at how much clarity one page can bring.
Connect with Simon
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonseverino/
https://www.facebook.com/simon.severino
https://x.com/simonseverino
https://www.strategysprints.com/
Connect with Kerry
Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok!
Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward
Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/
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Stop calling it strategy. Most leaders are not doing strategy; they are managing a glorified to-do list.
In this episode of Reflect Forward, I sit down with Simon Severino, author of Strategy Sprints, TEDx speaker, Forbes contributor, and CEO of Strategy Sprints, to talk about how to lead with clarity, focus, and speed. Simon helps leaders design an operating rhythm that turns lofty visions into measurable weekly wins, all without adding more meetings or complexity.
Simon has spent over two decades helping leaders enter markets, scale effectively, and remain competitive in uncertain times. His Strategy Sprints method replaces long planning cycles with focused 90-day sprints that keep teams learning, adapting, and moving fast. It is a system designed for real-life scenarios, where uncertainty is constant and leaders cannot afford to wait for perfect information.
Simon reminds us that strategy is not about being right; it is about learning fast. His Focus Card is a simple but powerful tool: one page for your strategy, one tab for weekly metrics. Every Monday, teams set their priorities. Every Friday, they review what is working and what is not. It is a rhythm that keeps everyone focused and aligned, turning strategy from theory into practice.
Simon also challenges leaders to build like Lego, not Duplo, modular, flexible, and fast to reconfigure. When markets shift, teams that move in small, adaptable units thrive. That mindset is not just tactical, it is cultural. It encourages curiosity, experimentation, and speed.
The beauty of Simon’s method is its simplicity. It does not add complexity; it removes it. The Strategy Sprint approach helps leaders focus on what matters, cut through noise, and lead teams that win through clarity and cadence.
My Takeaways
1. Plans list tasks. Strategy makes bets. Great leaders take responsibility for the assumptions they make.
2. Measure both cause and effect. Track the activities and the results they create.
3. Shorten your feedback loop. A Monday and Friday rhythm beats quarterly reviews every time.
4. Build modular. Smaller, faster systems are easier to adapt when the market shifts.
5. Seek truth, not validation. Try to invalidate your assumptions weekly. If they hold up, you are truly winning.
When I asked Simon what he wished leaders understood about strategy, he said:
“Do not try to prove you are right. Try to prove yourself wrong. If your assumptions survive, then you are winning.”
And if you want to bring more focus and agility to your team, try Simon’s Focus Card exercise. You might be surprised at how much clarity one page can bring.
Connect with Simon
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonseverino/
https://www.facebook.com/simon.severino
https://x.com/simonseverino
https://www.strategysprints.com/
Connect with Kerry
Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok!
Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward
Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/
Authentic Leadership Through Inner Work w/ Carrie Freeman
Reflect Forward
29 minutes 33 seconds
3 months ago
Authentic Leadership Through Inner Work w/ Carrie Freeman
Authentic leadership through inner work is more than a practice, it’s the key to unlocking your full potential and creating lasting impact as a leader. In this powerful episode of Reflect Forward, I sit down with Carrie Freeman, CEO and General Manager of Vara Winery and Distillery, who shares how embracing vulnerability, intuition, and self-awareness has completely transformed her leadership style and elevated her success. Carrie’s extraordinary journey from global innovation executive to winery CEO illustrates how leading from the inside out creates deeper connections, stronger teams, and greater fulfillment.
Carrie has a fascinating background, transitioning from her role as co-CEO of SecondMuse, a global innovation company that collaborated with organizations such as NASA, the White House, and the World Bank, to now running a thriving winery and distillery. We discuss the realities of operating a winery, examining how Carrie’s leadership skills enabled her to enter an industry where she initially lacked expertise—and why being an outsider can sometimes provide the fresh perspective a business needs most.
Throughout our conversation, Carrie highlights the misconception that humans are purely rational decision-makers. She emphasizes that relying exclusively on logic can limit our ability to lead effectively. By tapping into intuition, emotion, and inner wisdom, leaders can gain deeper insights, make better decisions, and build stronger relationships.
Mic Drop Moment:
• “Expertise is valuable, but curiosity is a superpower. When you admit you don't know everything, you unlock your team's full potential.”
• “Sometimes there isn’t a problem to solve. True leadership is knowing when to step back and let things unfold.”
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
• Why Expertise Isn’t Everything
• Inner Work as the Foundation for Outer Success
• Balancing Masculine and Feminine Energy
• Vulnerability as a Strength
Key Takeaways:
1. Be Curious, Not Just Expert: Embrace curiosity and humility; empowering your team can often yield better solutions than claiming expertise.
2. Listen to Your Intuition: Great leaders trust their gut and heart as much as their intellect; purely rational decisions often miss deeper insights.
3. Integrate, Don’t Balance: Leadership is not about perfect balance but about discerning when to engage action-oriented or intuitive energies effectively.
4. Lead with Vulnerability: Authenticity and vulnerability build deeper trust, stronger relationships, and a healthier organizational culture.
5. Recognize There Isn’t Always a Problem to Solve: Resist the urge to fix everything; sometimes stepping back and allowing situations to naturally evolve is the best course of action.
About Carrie Freeman:
Carrie Freeman is the CEO and General Manager of Vara Winery and Distillery in Albuquerque, NM, and previously served as co-CEO of SecondMuse, a global innovation consultancy. Passionate about authentic leadership, innovation, and sustainability, Carrie guides leaders and businesses toward deeper success by emphasizing self-awareness, purpose, and authenticity.
Connect with Carrie Freeman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-freeman/
Learn more about Vara Winery and Distillery or order their award-winning wines at www.varawines.com
Connect with Kerry
Don’t forget to subscribe to Reflect Forward on your favorite podcast platform or YouTube. Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok!
Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward
Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/
Reflect Forward
Stop calling it strategy. Most leaders are not doing strategy; they are managing a glorified to-do list.
In this episode of Reflect Forward, I sit down with Simon Severino, author of Strategy Sprints, TEDx speaker, Forbes contributor, and CEO of Strategy Sprints, to talk about how to lead with clarity, focus, and speed. Simon helps leaders design an operating rhythm that turns lofty visions into measurable weekly wins, all without adding more meetings or complexity.
Simon has spent over two decades helping leaders enter markets, scale effectively, and remain competitive in uncertain times. His Strategy Sprints method replaces long planning cycles with focused 90-day sprints that keep teams learning, adapting, and moving fast. It is a system designed for real-life scenarios, where uncertainty is constant and leaders cannot afford to wait for perfect information.
Simon reminds us that strategy is not about being right; it is about learning fast. His Focus Card is a simple but powerful tool: one page for your strategy, one tab for weekly metrics. Every Monday, teams set their priorities. Every Friday, they review what is working and what is not. It is a rhythm that keeps everyone focused and aligned, turning strategy from theory into practice.
Simon also challenges leaders to build like Lego, not Duplo, modular, flexible, and fast to reconfigure. When markets shift, teams that move in small, adaptable units thrive. That mindset is not just tactical, it is cultural. It encourages curiosity, experimentation, and speed.
The beauty of Simon’s method is its simplicity. It does not add complexity; it removes it. The Strategy Sprint approach helps leaders focus on what matters, cut through noise, and lead teams that win through clarity and cadence.
My Takeaways
1. Plans list tasks. Strategy makes bets. Great leaders take responsibility for the assumptions they make.
2. Measure both cause and effect. Track the activities and the results they create.
3. Shorten your feedback loop. A Monday and Friday rhythm beats quarterly reviews every time.
4. Build modular. Smaller, faster systems are easier to adapt when the market shifts.
5. Seek truth, not validation. Try to invalidate your assumptions weekly. If they hold up, you are truly winning.
When I asked Simon what he wished leaders understood about strategy, he said:
“Do not try to prove you are right. Try to prove yourself wrong. If your assumptions survive, then you are winning.”
And if you want to bring more focus and agility to your team, try Simon’s Focus Card exercise. You might be surprised at how much clarity one page can bring.
Connect with Simon
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonseverino/
https://www.facebook.com/simon.severino
https://x.com/simonseverino
https://www.strategysprints.com/
Connect with Kerry
Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok!
Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward
Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/
