Next-Level Decision Making for LEADERS

Leader247 welcomes Fenton Moran to discuss his new book on decision making and its impact on leaders and organizations facing complexity.

Fenton challenged the idea that better results come from more data or faster action. Instead, he highlighted the power of disciplined decision architecture — clear roles, defined criteria, and transparent trade-offs — to create alignment and reduce friction.

His message was clear: decision quality shapes culture. When decision rights are unclear, execution slows and trust erodes. When decisions are structured, visible, and owned, performance accelerates.

For Leader247 members, the takeaway is unmistakable — strategic success depends on building organizations where sound decisions are intentional and aligned with purpose.

SEE our Events page for non-member tickets

Upcoming Events

Session 07: Streams of Strategy

Tuesday, February 24, 11:00 - 1:00 CST
Insight Segment: Join us for deep perspectives of how AI is bringing value to Value Stream analysis, system design and flow. We will feature an industry expert Emmanuel Aouad from Klarity- a pioneer in business transformation and how AI is transforming value stream insight, speed, and execution—and what leaders need to understand now to stay ahead.
Roundtable Response
Sensei-Bility: Tips for Value Stream Maps
Power-Points
Session 08: The Decision Mind

Tuesday, March 31, 11:00 - 1:00 CST
Insight Segment: Leader247 welcomes Fenton Moran PhD, author of the brand new book Next-Level Decision Making. This session explores how leaders make better decisions in complexity—combining structure, judgment, and disciplined intuition to move faster, avoid paralysis, and lead with confidence when clarity is limited.
Roundtable Response
Sensei-Bility: Hansei- what and how?
Power-Points
Session 09: Clarity in Value Streams

Tuesday, April 28, 11:00 - 1:00 CST
Insight Segment: Leader247 is honored to welcome Karen Martin, internationally recognized authority on value stream mapping and enterprise performance.
Value Stream Mapping — not as a tool, but as a leadership discipline. Karen will challenge the common confusion between activity and true value, demonstrate how value stream thinking sharpens executive decision-making, reveal how clarity of flow drives measurable performance and financial results, and distinguish superficial mapping exercises from transformational strategic insight.
Value Stream Mapping is often treated as operational.
Karen will show why it is fundamentally strategic.
For leaders responsible for both strategy and execution, this session will reshape how you see your system — and once you see it differently, you cannot unsee it.
Roundtable Response
Sensei-Bility: Gemba walks
Power-Points

Past Sessions

***All Sessions are recorded and available to active members

Episode 01: True North and Obeya as your Operating System

The July Leader247 session, featuring Mike Wroblewski, launched the consortium’s live series with a powerful focus on uniting “Strategy and Operations through Intentional Leadership”. The discussion centered on the Obeya mindset—a visible, disciplined system where leaders connect people, priorities, and purpose in real time to turn plans into progress. Wroblewski shared practical insights from decades of Lean leadership, illustrating how clarity, focus, and alignment form the triad that powers true operational excellence. As part of “the Lift Lab” -The Seven Deadly Sins of Lean inspired leaders to make strategy a living system—anchored in daily practice, clear communication, and courageous ownership—ensuring that execution thrives where alignment and leadership meet.

Session 02: Goals VS. Strategies "Crafting the Plan"

The August Leader247 session, “From Goals to Strategy – A Conversation with Steve Hirt,” explores how effective leadership depends on mastering both strategic thinking and strategic planning. Christian Wolcott opens by distinguishing the two—thinking as foresight and pattern recognition, and planning as disciplined execution—before Steve Hirt shares insights on shifting from tactical to strategic mindsets, defining breakthrough objectives, and sustaining alignment through tools like the X-Matrix and “catchball” communication. The accompanying Compass Points and Lift Lab segments reinforce that most strategies fail not for lack of ideas but for lack of execution discipline, urging leaders to make strategy a living, visible process embedded in culture—where thinking sets the horizon, planning maps the path, and disciplined follow-through drives growth

Session 03: The Power of Leadership Communications

The September Leader247 session with Linked In Learning star, accomplished author Sam Yankelevitch, The Power of Leadership Communications, revealed that most leadership failures stem from miscommunication, not strategy. Sam explored how assumptions, silos, and data without dialogue derail alignment and emphasized listening as a leader’s greatest superpower. Participants reflected on their own clarity gaps, learning to treat every conversation as a process for continuous improvement. The new Sensei-Bility segment offered key learning points for Leaders walking and talking the walk.

Session 04: The Discipline of Strategy Deployment

In October’s Leader247 session, Steve Hirt and Luke Burmeister of Didion Milling explore the discipline of strategy deployment—turning plans into measurable results through focus, cadence, and clarity. They share real-world lessons on linking people, purpose, and execution while maintaining honest metrics and leadership rhythm. The conversation offers practical insight into keeping strategy alive through X-Matrix deployment, performance tracking, and resource alignment.

Session 05: Lean Legends LIVE: Mike Hoseus

Mike Hoseus is a globally recognized authority in lean culture and organizational transformation. With over three decades of experience, he built his expertise at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky—rising through operations and HR leadership—where he learned firsthand how to integrate the “people value stream” with process excellence.

He co-authored the award-winning book Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way and now serves as Executive Director at the Center for Quality People & Organizations (CQPO) and President of Lean Culture Enterprises, where he advises organizations on building sustainable, people-centric lean transformations.

Session 06: Lean Legends LIVE: Paul Akers

Leader247 welcomed Paul Akers for a high-energy session on 2 Second Lean and the enduring power of Lean thinking.

Paul emphasized that transformation doesn’t come from massive initiatives, but from small, daily improvements — practiced relentlessly. When leaders model curiosity, humility, and disciplined observation, culture evolves naturally.

The core message was simple and powerful: Lean is not about tools. It’s about developing people who see waste, solve problems, and take ownership every day. Culture grows where leadership is intentional — and improvement becomes habit.

Session 07: March 31, 2026