Build Repeatability Without Building Bureaucracy
Build Repeatability Without Building Bureaucracy When I commanded 25 Canadian Forces Supply Depot, I found myself dealing with an incredibly frustrating situation. Not because our people lacked the ability to do their jobs, but because the system was preventing us from putting experienced supervisors into permanent positions. We had capable civilian employees who knew the […]
Just Because You’ve Always Done It Doesn’t Mean You Should
Organizations accumulate processes and responsibilities that nobody questions. Drawing on his experience commanding 25 Canadian Forces Supply Depot, Scott McCarthy explains why leaders must challenge inherited work, protect organizational capacity, and make deliberate decisions about what their teams should actually be doing.
Is Your Organization Growing, or Just Becoming More Dependent on You?
Growing organizations can become increasingly dependent on the very leaders driving their success. Learn to recognize four common dependencies and build a business that can move forward without constant executive involvement.
If Your Business Needs Heroes, Your Systems Are Broken
If Your Business Needs Heroes, Your Systems Are Broken There is someone in your organization everyone calls when things go sideways. A shipment is stuck, a major customer is unhappy, a deadline is slipping, a system won’t cooperate, or an approval is trapped somewhere and nobody seems to know how to move it. Then someone […]
Why Good People Quietly Leave: 5 Questions Leaders Need to Ask
High performers rarely announce the moment they stop seeing a future inside an organization. They continue delivering, supporting their teams, and meeting expectations. Drawing on my decision to leave the Canadian Armed Forces after more than 25 years, this article examines why good people leave and what leaders can recognize before another organization offers them a more compelling future.
Ownership Dies Between Departments
Ownership Dies Between Departments If Everything Comes Back to You, Ownership Is Already Dead I was standing on an airfield in Portugal watching Canadian troops wait for buses that were not coming and military equipment sit motionless on the apron. None of it made sense. We were participating in a major multinational military exercise, and […]
YOUR FINAL LEADERSHIP TEST: WHAT HAPPENS THE DAY AFTER YOU LEAVE
Most leaders spend years learning how to take command, yet almost nobody teaches them how to leave. Drawing from his own transition out of command, Scott McCarthy explores why the final test of leadership isn’t what you accomplish while you’re in charge, but what happens after you’re gone. Through the lens of Leading Yourself, Leading Your Team, and Leading Your Organization, he reveals how great leaders build organizations that thrive without them.
From Toxic to Thriving: The Leader’s Guide to Healthy Organizations | Scott McCarthy | Episode 365
Discover the five key signs of a toxic organization and their healthy opposites in this Peak Performance Leadership episode. Learn actionable strategies to identify and address workplace toxicity, improve team culture, and lead with integrity—straight from Chief Leadership Officer Scott McCarthy.
5 SIGNS YOUR ORGANIZATION IS TOXIC: THE HEALTHY ANTI-SIGNS GREAT LEADERS PROTECT
Toxic culture rarely announces itself loudly. More often, it begins in silence: the high performer who disengages, the hallway conversation that replaces direct dialogue, the burnout leaders mistake for loyalty. In this article, I break down five warning signs your organization may be drifting into dysfunction and the healthy anti-signs great leaders intentionally protect.
The Stories Behind You Don’t Know Sh*t About Leadership | Episode 363
In this special solo episode, Scott McCarthy unveils the behind-the-scenes journey of his new book, shares powerful untold leadership stories, and reminds us that leadership is a constant evolution—none of us ever have it all figured out. Ready to challenge what you know about leadership?