Combat strategic complexity by creating a one-page plan. This document connects your highest-level vision and values to tactical quarterly goals in a clear cascade (Vision -> Strategy/KPIs -> Annual Goals -> Quarterly Goals). This simple, accessible artifact ensures universal alignment and clarity on how individual work ladders up.

To ensure alignment, Matt Spielman's coaching process starts with senior leadership. When managing partners define and share their "game plans," their goals become the organization's goals. This creates a natural cascading effect, as direct reports align their own objectives to support the firm's primary mission.

To achieve extraordinary results, a leader must provide three things sequentially. A compelling vision inspires, but it's just a "rah-rah speech" if the team doesn't believe it's achievable. Belief is then activated by a concrete, tactical plan for execution. Lacking any one of these three interdependent pillars will cause the initiative to fail.

The most effective strategist is not the one who creates the most comprehensive plan, but the one who can distill that complexity into a simple, executable essence. A 200-page strategy is worthless if the cross-functional team cannot easily understand and act on it. True strategic work is in simplification.

Instead of relying solely on one-on-one meetings for alignment, PMs should craft a compelling vision. This vision motivates engineers by showing how even small, tactical tasks contribute to a larger, exciting goal. It drives alignment, clarity, and motivation more effectively than just a roadmap.

Go beyond visual roadmaps. Create a monthly written document for executives that explains *why* the roadmap changed, details priorities, and includes data from recent launches. This forces intentionality, builds trust, and fosters deeper, more accountable conversations with leadership.

As companies scale, roadmaps become a list of stakeholder commitments. To maintain focus, leaders must relentlessly communicate the "why" behind every initiative and tie it to a clear investment ROI. This ensures all teams are running in the same direction, not just checking boxes.

Truly effective strategic clarity involves translating the complex PE investment thesis into a simple "strategy on a page." The best CEOs communicate this relentlessly until every employee, regardless of role, understands the company's vision and their specific contribution to it.

CEOs can maintain focus by co-creating a simple one-page strategy with their board. When board members later propose off-strategy ideas, this document becomes a powerful tool to re-center the conversation and ask whether the new idea is important enough to displace an agreed-upon priority.