The Silent Disruptors Reshaping Business: Five Demographic Trends You Can’t Ignore
Grab your tea or coffee, because I need to sit you down for an uncomfortable truth. Most organizations are flying blind when it comes to demographic strategy. They have dashboards for revenue, retention, and risk, but nothing that accounts for the slow-moving, high-impact shifts unfolding across the human capital landscape. Aging populations. Shrinking birth rates. Rising dependency ratios. These aren’t abstract trends. They’re structural forces reshaping the talent economy, consumer behavior, and the social contract between employers and society.
Why do 92% of Tech Transformations Fail in Organizations? Hint: It's not because of their strategy.
I read PwC’s recent analysis on program governance and delivery risk, which offers a clear and urgent message to transformation leaders. The report revealed that 92% of organizations say their technology investments have not fully delivered on expectations. My immediate response was, “WOW!” As I chewed on this article a bit longer, I figured this is not just a warning sign. It is a reflection of a deeper issue that continues to undermine transformation efforts across industries. Especially when you consider that organizations will spend billions on transformation initiatives over the next year. Meaning, such a high failure rate equates to a significant erosion of value. As one who is big on structure and systems–and has consulted across multiple industries from higher education and healthcare to government–I often see that programs do not fail at the finish line. They fail at the starting gate when governance is treated as a procedural compliance formality rather than a strategic capability.
Navigating the Crossfire: How Organizations Can Thrive Amid Political Polarization
The American political landscape is increasingly defined by widening polarization, and nearly every sector finds itself caught in the crossfire. Almost weekly, headlines report institutions adjusting their structures and strategies in response to mounting political and public pressures. While this trend isn’t new, I think we can all acknowledge that the stakes are higher than ever. According to a fourth quarter 2023 Gartner survey, escalating political polarization was ranked as the second‑highest emerging risk facing businesses, with 69% of risk executives expressing concern about how internal and external pressures could destabilize strategy or erode stakeholder trust. (Side note: Artificial intelligence is ranked number one, in case you are wondering) These pressures are not passing phenomena tied to a single administration; rather, they reflect deeply divided political and economic landscapes showing less tolerance and significant real-world consequences for how organizations operate:
The Marathon Continues: A Personal, Professional, and Purpose-Driven Shift
I was recently laid off due to organizational restructuring and budget cuts. As I walk away, I’m proud of the legacy I helped build over four impactful years—three of which I served as the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer.
Admittedly, I’m disappointed. But truthfully, I saw this coming—not from inside intel, but because I’ve spent my career studying social trends, organizational behavior, leadership shifts, cultural signals, political tradewinds, and budget fluctuations that often forecast major decisions. That insight hasn’t just helped me lead through disruption, it’s helped me stay ahead of it.