Strategy Execution Blog

Most strategic plans don’t fail because they’re flawed. They fail because execution breaks down in the first 90 days. Drawing from a recent Ask a Chief of Staff workshop, this piece explores the three execution pitfalls that derail momentum and what Chiefs of Staff can do to keep strategy alive well past January.

AI is transforming how Chiefs of Staff plan and execute strategy. In this recap from our Ask a Chief of Staff workshop, Abby Parker, COO at Elate, shares five practical ways to apply AI to your planning process—from automating reports and detecting risks early to focusing leadership time on decisions that drive outcomes.

Starting with the fifth-most popular episode, we will be counting down to the top episode and delving back into the wisdom shared by each guest that helped make each episode so popular. 

The Chief of Staff role is pivotal for ensuring that a company can effectively transition its strategy from planning to execution. Here are 4 keys to ensure a successful transition.

It’s more important than ever for companies and candidates to have a clear understanding of what the Chief of Staff position entails.

We are thrilled to announce season three of Aspiring Ops, and our partnership with the On Deck Chief of Staff Fellowship.

The Chief of Staff position has grown into an essential role to help accelerate growth and amplify the impact of leadership.

Whether it’s your first time stepping into a Chief of Staff role or you have past experience, understanding what’s needed of the role and your fit is critical. 

With the rise in platforms built to help drive efficiency and effectiveness across your business, strategy and ops is quickly becoming one of the key ingredients for finding and replicating areas of growth across your business.

The idea of implementing an operating framework for growth at any company can be overwhelming. From executive level buy-in to rolling out a structure across every team, it can be a tall task for even the best strategy and operations leaders.

Execute and track your strategic plan more effectively with these three tips.

Russell Lester, CFO of Calendly, explains how teams can drive growth and efficiency in SaaS.

After meeting with hundreds of operations leaders, we put together a few key steps to help you successfully build and implement an executive scorecard for your company. 

Company culture. It’s a frequent topic of conversation in the startup scene, but how is it defined? Read more.

Whether you’re a hiring manager looking for validation or an Ops Leader looking for guidance, here are three reasons why companies should look internally for their Chief of Staff. 

A practical playbook for how credit unions can turn strategic goals into execution through better prioritization, clearer OKRs, and a more consistent operating rhythm.

Nonprofit strategy execution requires more than task tracking. This practical playbook shows how nonprofits can improve visibility, ownership, and risk management by moving from informal systems to a structured operating rhythm.

Learn how Elate helps higher education institutions break down silos, empower leaders, and track progress toward their long-term goals for impactful results.

We dive into 6 types of strategic objectives you want to avoid in your strategic plan - and how to course correct them.

Most leaders are quick to share that they need to improve their company's strategic planning processes, but many hesitate on taking action. We dive into the top 4 reasons, and how to overcome those.

What is the OKR Framework and should you be using it? We break down the pros and cons of using OKRs to set your company goals.

Writing good objectives is key to an effective strategic planning process. Follow our 3 step process to create clarity for your team.

This post explores the difference of a KPI and a Key Result, and shares some examples of each.

One of the hottest trends for Strategy & Ops leaders in SaaS has been implementing an OKR goal-setting framework.

As we head into the fall planning season, here are the do's and don'ts for those looking to learn how to set your team up for success in rolling out a platform.

When creating a software engineering OKR, it is important to determine how it will serve the overall company direction and company objectives.

Setting customer success team OKRs can feel a bit overwhelming. Align your team with these customer support goals and objectives.

There are a lot of misconceptions about OKRs, and this has led many companies to experience challenges with OKRs they weren't expecting.

Implementing OKRs requires an understanding of the long-term value and buy-in that the process will continue evolving as your company grows.

It is often challenging to come up with the right OKRs for your product team. Here are some OKRs that can get you started.

Starting with the fifth-most popular episode, we will be counting down to the top episode and delving back into the wisdom shared by each guest that helped make each episode so popular. 

Strategy and Operations Leaders play a key role in the Nonprofit landscape. Hear some key takeaways on how Josh and Keith bring their team members together to unite around common goals.

With strategic plans constantly being adjusted throughout the year, here are three recommendations to ensure your company stays aligned & closes out the year on a high note.

Aspiring Ops Guests share tips on how they optimize strategic initiatives & why the right processes and technology can be just as important as the actual execution of your strategy.

It’s more important than ever for companies and candidates to have a clear understanding of what the Chief of Staff position entails.

Over the course of Season Three on Aspiring Ops, we heard from a number of Chiefs of Staff who have found ways to unlock opportunity and serve as a catalyst for growth by amplifying the impact of their principal. 

Aspiring Ops guests share some expert advice about the strategic planning process and what comes after your leadership team offsite.

We are thrilled to announce season three of Aspiring Ops, and our partnership with the On Deck Chief of Staff Fellowship.

The Chief of Staff position has grown into an essential role to help accelerate growth and amplify the impact of leadership.

Whether it’s your first time stepping into a Chief of Staff role or you have past experience, understanding what’s needed of the role and your fit is critical. 

Russell Lester, CFO of Calendly, explains how teams can drive growth and efficiency in SaaS.

Company culture. It’s a frequent topic of conversation in the startup scene, but how is it defined? Read more.

Emad ElShawa, Chief of Staff at Fundbox, shared how his team views the strategic planning process and offered his advice for other startup leaders on our Aspiring Ops interview series. Listen now.

At this point, we feel pretty confident in saying that the Chief of Staff role is here to stay. But don’t just take our word for it, here's what the pros have to say.

We made sure to ask each Chief of Staff we interviewed for the advice they’d give to anyone getting started in the role. Read on to learn what they had to say.

Strategy doesn't fail because the mission is unclear. It fails because good intentions don't automatically translate into clear ownership, measurable outcomes, and a system to keep execution visible. In this essay, Brooks Wallace explores three places strategy execution breaks down for education and nonprofit institutions — and how AI is changing what Leaders can do about it.

AI may be driving change, but the bigger shift in 2026 is toward focus, efficiency, and disciplined execution. Here’s what strategy leaders need to understand.

AI is driving a surge of interest from Strategy and Operations Leaders, but the real question isn’t whether AI matters. It’s how to use it to meaningfully improve execution. This edition breaks down three practical applications of AI in strategy execution: automated status updates, AI-powered reporting, and AI-mapped strategic plans. The focus is simple: reduce friction, increase context, and make better decisions.

Most strategies don’t fail at kickoff. They fade over time. As Q1 momentum wears off, leaders must reinforce strategy through disciplined review cadences and decision-focused leadership meetings. This edition of The Pulse explores how consistent leadership behaviors keep strategy relevant and execution on track beyond the new year.

As organizations head into 2026, many leaders start the year with clear plans and strong alignment. But execution risk rarely shows up all at once. It builds quietly beneath the surface. In this edition of The Pulse, we explore how strategy and operations leaders can identify risk earlier by examining how objectives support strategic themes, pairing sentiment with measurable outcomes, and shifting leadership conversations from status updates to intervention. Because in execution, seeing risk sooner matters more than reacting faster

In this edition of The Pulse, Brooks Busch explores why spreadsheets persist in strategic planning, where they break down, and why static tools are becoming a liability in a faster-moving world. He unpacks the hidden costs of static strategy and explains why more Strategy and Operations leaders are rethinking how strategy is built, tracked, and executed in real time.

In this edition of The Pulse, Brooks Busch shares three ways Strategy and Operations leaders help their CEOs channel energy in a way the organization can absorb. From committing to a clear framework to revisiting Themes and shifting leadership conversations toward real risks, these practices help teams stay aligned during periods of rapid change. A timely perspective for leaders preparing for 2026 planning.

AI is reshaping the way Strategy Leaders define success. In this edition of The Pulse, we explore why measuring ROI as an outcome—not a narrative—is key to better strategy execution, and how AI is becoming a true thought partner for teams preparing for 2026.

In this edition of The Pulse, we get back to the core of strategy execution: the difference between managing projects and driving decisions. As AI accelerates how teams work, Strategy Leaders must build cultures focused on clarity, accountability, and impact — not just motion.

Elate’s co-founders unveil Strategy Advisor, the first domain-specific AI engine built to help Strategy and Operations leaders plan smarter, adapt faster, and execute with clarity. Learn how it reshapes the way strategy gets done.

Reporting has long been a pain point for Strategy Leaders — time-consuming, manual, and often outdated before it’s even shared. In this edition of The Pulse, we explore how AI is transforming reporting from a static process into a dynamic, strategy-driving advantage. Learn how leading teams are using AI to reduce reporting time, surface risks earlier, and take action faster.

In this edition of The Pulse, we explore how Strategy Leaders can use AI to detect early signals of misalignment, identify risks hiding beneath status updates, and move from reactive to proactive decision-making. Plus, get access to an exclusive sneak peek of what’s coming this October.

Strategic planning is broken. For many organizations, the process hasn’t changed in a decade — static slides, siloed documents, and plans that never make it out of the starting gate. In this edition of The Pulse, Brooks Busch explores why it’s time to rethink strategic planning, how AI can serve as a thought partner for Strategy Leaders, and what it means to move from static plans to dynamic execution.

This edition of The Pulse explores the rise of AI for Strategy Leaders—not as hype, but as a practical shift in how strategic plans are built, executed, and communicated. Elate CEO Brooks Busch shares our point of view on where strategy is heading, what makes AI truly useful, and why this moment marks a critical turning point.

As summer ends and organizations snap back into their operating rhythm, Strategy Leaders face a unique opportunity to reset priorities. In this edition of The Pulse, explore three practical ways to realign your team, improve visibility, and rally your organization for a strong finish to the year.