In this episode of Hey Jack, Jack Nehlig and Trevor Robinson tackle a challenge that trips up leadership teams everywhere: what happens after the strategy meeting ends. Inspired by a LinkedIn post from talent development leader Cheryl Clark, Jack shares a scenario where a leader quietly sabotaged a new strategy by refusing to support it with their team. From there, Jack and Trevor break down a practical four-step framework for turning strategy into real, sustained action, and they discuss why alignment across the leadership team is non-negotiable.
When Silence Becomes Sabotage
The conversation kicks off with a scenario that will feel familiar to many leaders. A leadership team comes together, collaborates on a new strategy, and walks away feeling aligned. But one leader returns to their department and tells the team it will not work, that they will not be supporting it. Six months later, that team's numbers are lagging and the cracks are showing.
Jack does not mince words about the consequences. "What we all need to realize is you're never gonna get 100% consensus on any strategy. So there's always gonna be a couple of leaders in the room that disagree with a strategy, that's okay," Nehlig explains. "But what's not okay is when the leadership team agrees on a strategy, you can't have people opt out. It's not their right or opportunity to opt out of supporting a strategy."
Trevor adds that the damage extends beyond the rebellious leader. "That team below them, they may not be getting the training that they need. They may not be getting the information that they need. And this reflects poorly upon them as individuals, even if it's not intended to," Robinson points out. When the rest of the organization moves forward and one group sits idle, everyone suffers.
Build Strategy With a Broad Net
The first step in Jack's framework is getting the strategy right from the start, and that means involving more people than just the executive team. A strategy built in a small room by a handful of senior leaders is far more likely to face resistance when it rolls downhill.
"You want to hold strategy workshops at least to the director level. So you got the executive staff, the VPs if there are more than just the staff, and then directors, and then sometimes even some senior managers, and you get them together, 30, 40 people for a half a day or a day, and you tackle a topic," Nehlig describes. The benefits are twofold: dissenters get to voice their concerns in a safe forum, and you get diverse perspectives on the problem, which typically leads to better solutions.
Trevor reinforces how critical this first step is. Getting leaders on board before execution begins means fewer surprises later and more genuine commitment to the plan.
Cascade the Strategy Through Every Level
Once the strategy is set, the next step is requiring every department to hold its own mini strategy workshop. These sessions are not optional. They are where teams figure out how they will specifically support the new direction.
"You require everybody to hold these meetings and they put it down on paper what they're going to do," Nehlig says. For a small department with a narrow connection to the strategy, this might be a one-hour session. For a large sales force of 150 people spread across the country, it could mean 10 sales managers spending half a day building a deployment plan together. The point is that every group translates the high-level strategy into concrete actions that fit their function.
This cascading approach ensures that strategy does not stay abstract. It becomes a set of commitments that people have shaped themselves, which creates far more ownership than a top-down directive.
Hold the Line With Quarterly Reviews and Project Discipline
Jack's third step is quarterly operational reviews specifically focused on strategy execution. These are not the standard financial reviews most organizations already run. These are targeted check-ins where higher leadership listens to progress reports on the strategy itself.
"It doesn't have to last forever, maybe two or three quarters, until you feel like you've got it all ingrained in everybody's operating system, the new strategy," Nehlig advises. The reviews create a rhythm of accountability that keeps the strategy visible and top of mind.
The fourth step is a tool that supports all the others: project management discipline. Creating a master project with sub-projects, assigned leaders, and clear deliverables gives the strategy a backbone. Jack is candid about how often this gets skipped. "I think most people would say eight out of 10 times they don't do it and they just hope people will do something about it," he admits.
The Better Way to Disagree
Jack closes with an alternative ending to the original scenario. Instead of a leader going back and telling their team the strategy is a bad idea, imagine that same leader grabbing lunch with a few trusted team members and being honest: "I'm really not behind this strategy and here are the three or four reasons why. But I sat through it. I've heard all the positive ideas. And what we're going to do is we'll all focus on some of the positive things we can focus on and we'll just minimize the concerns I have."
That leader does not get fired for insubordination. They get recognized for acknowledging challenges while still moving forward. It is a mature, constructive approach that keeps the team aligned without requiring anyone to pretend they have no reservations.
Key Quote From The Episode
"What we all need to realize is you're never gonna get 100% consensus on any strategy. But what's not okay is when the leadership team agrees on a strategy, you can't have people opt out. It's not their right or opportunity to opt out of supporting a strategy." - Jack Nehlig
Key Takeaways
- Hold broad strategy workshops that include directors and senior managers, not just the executive team, so more voices shape the plan and dissenters can speak up in a safe forum.
- Require every department to run cascading implementation workshops where they define exactly how they will support the new strategy.
- Conduct quarterly operational reviews focused specifically on strategy execution for at least two to three quarters to maintain accountability.
- Apply project management discipline with a master project, sub-projects, and assigned leaders to give the strategy structure and follow-through.
- When you disagree with a strategy, acknowledge your concerns privately but commit to executing the parts you can support rather than opting out entirely.
Wrap Up
Turning strategy into action is not about having a perfect plan. It is about building a process that moves from broad collaboration to specific commitments and sustained follow-through. Start with workshops that cast a wide net, cascade the strategy into every department, hold quarterly reviews to keep momentum alive, and use project management tools to track progress. And if you find yourself on the disagreeing side of a strategy, channel that energy into constructive execution rather than quiet resistance. The teams looking to you for direction deserve nothing less.