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When <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/aaron-olson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aaron Olson</a> keynoted in person at ELE’s October conference at Zurich North America (Schaumburg campus), he launched his new book <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/strategy-and-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategy &amp; Change</a>—and the room lit up because it wasn’t theory. It was usable.

So we invited him back for a live interactive workshop discussion on Feb 27, and he delivered again—this time with the group applying the ideas to real decisions, in real time.

In the simplest terms, Aaron’s message was this: stronger teams get better at avoiding blind spots → making clearer choices → naming risk early—because that’s where real opportunities get unmasked. He also walked through how to prepare yourself with a simple Action Planning Tool.

And the best part? The community didn’t just nod along—we sharpened the framework with the kind of reflections you only get when experienced leaders are willing to be honest about what actually happens inside organizations.

<hr style="margin: 40px 0; border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee;" />

The takeaway that hit hardest: don’t outsource your judgment
As <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/marty-murrillo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marty Murrillo</a> put it - especially with AI in the mix:
<blockquote style="border-left: 5px solid #ccc; margin: 1.5em 10px; padding: 0.5em 20px; font-style: italic;">“You can’t… abdicate your critical thinking to a machine, nor should you ever give your voice to a person or a machine."</blockquote>
That line landed because it names a very real risk pattern: teams move faster, they generate more output… and leaders slowly stop owning judgment.

The point wasn’t “don’t use AI.” The point was: don’t give away your voice. When leaders do that—whether to a tool or to the loudest person in the room—capability erodes quietly.

Why “challenge” is the hidden lever in better decisions.
One reflection that really stuck with the group was how culture shapes decision quality—even before the decision starts. <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/rachel-kaberon1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Kaberon</a> named the blocker we all recognize when we’re being honest:
<blockquote style="border-left: 5px solid #ccc; margin: 1.5em 10px; padding: 0.5em 20px; font-style: italic;">“The word challenge becomes a choice… that interpersonal exchange is part of the choice architecture."</blockquote>
That’s it. That’s the whole game. If challenging assumptions feels socially risky, people avoid it. If people avoid it, blind spots stay protected. And if blind spots stay protected, the “choice” is basically pre-decided—just with nicer language around it. So when we say “we need clarity,” what we often really mean is: we need a better room for real challenge.

Insight isn’t just “more data.” It’s sensing what others miss.
<a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/jean-ryan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jean Ryan</a> added a strategic layer that sharpened the “Insight” part of Aaron’s framework: if you only listen to the loud, obvious signals, you’re already behind.

She described the power of going after weak signals—especially outside your industry—because they challenge your current assumptions before the change becomes unavoidable.

Strong signals are easy to spot. They’re already loud. Weak signals take intention. But that’s where the early advantage lives: noticing shifts in behavior, expectations, education, and adjacent markets before they turn into urgent problems. This is one of those leadership muscles that looks “soft”… until you realize it’s the difference between being prepared and being surprised.

What made this practical: a one-page tool teams can actually use
Here’s where Aaron made it actionable.

The Strategy &amp; Change | Action Planning Worksheet is a practical tool for senior leaders because it turns the framework into a single page teams can work through together—in the flow of real decisions. (<a href="https://ideation.ele.llc/LC_Reskilling/20260227_Strategy-and-Change-Worksheet-editable.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here to download the editable worksheet</a>)
<img class="aligncenter" src="https://cdn.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Strategy-and-Change_Action-Planning-Worksheet.jpg" alt="Strategy and Change Worksheet" width="972" height="562" />
It helps teams:
<ul style="margin-bottom: 25px;">
 	<li>surface blind spots without turning it into a debate club</li>
 	<li>clarify the real choice being made (and the tradeoffs)</li>
 	<li>name risk early enough that it helps—not late enough that it hurts</li>
</ul>
And there’s a bigger reason we’re excited: Even better: this worksheet is the backbone for ELE’s next Design Charrette—because it forces the exact moves teams need to build Confidence, Capability, and Clarity while they’re solving something that actually matters.

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Want to go deeper?
This mini-workshop draws on ideas from Strategy and Change by Aaron Olson and co-authors—focused on insight, choice, and risk when leaders face disruption.
<ul>
 	<li>Explore the book on ELE’s Bookshelf (<a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/strategy-and-change">learn more or purchase</a>)</li>
</ul>
</div>

Strategy & Change in Practice: Turning Uncertainty into Better Decisions

Strategy

Digital &amp; AI

dirk.tussing

jean.ryan

leadership development

aaron.olson

critical thinking

Talent Strategy

marty.murrillo

peer-learning

matt.sernaker

clarity

rachel.kaberon

AI Adoption

cindy.pinkstaffmiller

risk management

strategic thinking

1Q2026

strategy and change

Human-Centered Transformation

insight choice risk

learning in the flow of work

team capability building

team-based learning

confidence

capability

decision-making under uncertainty

choice architecture

design charrettes

L&amp;D leaders

In an age where Generative AI is accelerating the pace of change to an unprecedented degree, executives can no longer afford to view disruption as a threat—they must see it as the primary catalyst for growth. As Aaron Olson, EVP of Enterprise Clients at Aon, emphasized in this compelling keynote, culture is the true, non-replicable driver of performance in the AI era.

This keynote armed senior HR, Talent Development, and L&amp;D leaders with a practical playbook for strategic leadership, reframing risk from a liability to a springboard for innovation and cultural alignment.
<h3>Essential Leadership Takeaways:</h3>
<ul>
 	<li>Culture as the AI Differentiator: The keynote underscored why investments in technology fail without corresponding investments in culture. The focus is on aligning organizational values to a constant state of flux, where people feel equipped, not overwhelmed, by AI.</li>
 	<li>The Disruption Playbook: Drawing from decades of risk management expertise, Aaron presented a clear process for executive action:
<ol start="1">
 	<li>Recognize Emerging Patterns: Move beyond lagging indicators to identify strategic shifts early.</li>
 	<li>Make Confident, Values-Driven Decisions: Use organizational principles to guide choices under high pressure and ambiguity.</li>
 	<li>Reframe Risk: View strategic risk-taking as an essential component of innovation, directly linking the change agenda to talent development strategy.</li>
</ol>
</li>
 	<li>Talent as a Springboard for Innovation: The keynote explored the critical leadership mindsets and cultural levers needed to build a workforce that not only survives digital and global crises but actively thrives on the opportunities they create.</li>
</ul>
This high-level strategic review confirmed that the executive function is evolving from managing stability to expertly navigating and capitalizing on continuous volatility.

Strategy & Change in Practice: Turning Uncertainty into Better Decisions

Strategy and Change | Finding Opportunity in Disruption

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