1 January, 2026
I recently completed an engagement with a leading telecom company in the MENA region, working closely with their strategy team to strengthen their strategy delivery capabilities and to establish a strong governance layer between their organization and the vendors responsible for delivering and supplying them with telecom solutions and equipments.
This delivery and governance layer was formed to serve as a lynchpin, ensuring that the strategy is at the centre of what is intended to be delivered by external vendors and that maximum strategic value is realized when these solutions become operational capabilities.
While I had the privilege of working with an exceptional team that both inspired and impressed me, I was struck by a disappointing realization that is creating hurdles to many change or transformation initiatives within the organization. A large number of C-suite executives and senior managers had progressed through their careers over the past 20–25 years within the same entity, with limited or no exposure to other industries or diverse challenges across different organizations.
This layer of management had intentionally constructed a political shield against innovation, creativity, and meaningful ways of doing things, reinforcing a culture of groupthink. This experience brought to mind Albert Einstein’s quote: “A ship is always safe at the shore, but that is not what it is built for.”
That’s why I think in the era of AI and the post-COVID-19 world, we must reassess how we define senior management experience. Years of service alone are no longer a relevant measure. Experience should instead be assessed by strategic contributions, success stories, failures, battles fought, challenges led, and value created.
Strategy, after all, has its roots in the military: advancement comes not from tenure, but from learning, leadership, and winning decisive battles.
