From Awareness to Action: The 5-Step Framework to Reduce Executive Debt
Knowing you have Executive Debt is one thing. Knowing how to reduce it? That’s where leadership gets real. In this final chapter, we move from diagnosis to execution. You’ll learn…
When the Mirror Talks Back: One Leader’s Reckoning with Executive Debt
Sometimes the most powerful case study is a confession. This week, we share the story of Morgan Gebhardt—a seasoned executive whose well-intentioned decisions created a chain of unintended consequences. His…
Can You Measure Executive Debt? Yes—And Here’s How
Executive Debt often hides in the cracks between functions, or in the space between intention and impact. To reduce it, leaders need a way to make it visible—so they can…
When It All Goes Wrong: Real Stories of Executive Debt in Action
Theory is helpful. But real-world stories are unforgettable. In this week’s post, we explore a few standout case studies from the book that show how Executive Debt plays out in…
When Debts Collide: How Executive Debt Compounds Across the Business
No form of Executive Debt exists in isolation. Cultural Debt leads to Talent Debt. Strategic Debt creates Operational Debt. One area of neglect almost always triggers another, creating a compounding…
Talent Debt: Why People Problems Are Growth Problems
Every business problem is a people problem in disguise. Yet Talent Debt—caused by neglecting leadership development, failing to invest in team growth, or tolerating poor performance—often gets overlooked until it…
Operational Debt: The Silent Killer of Scale
Your operations may be working—but are they working for you? Many companies tolerate inefficiencies in their systems, workflows, and tools because “it’s how we’ve always done it.” Over time, those small inefficiencies…
Strategic Drift: When Short-Term Wins Become Long-Term Losses
Every founder and CEO has heard the call: “Just hit the number.” And while short-term wins look great on a spreadsheet, they often come at a hidden cost—Strategic Debt. It’s…
Culture Creeps: How Toxic Norms Quietly Cost You Growth
Culture isn’t what’s written on the wall. It’s what happens in the hallway. And when leadership ignores the gap between stated values and lived behaviors, Cultural Debt begins to build.…
How to See Around Corners (Before It’s Too Late)
Executive Debt doesn’t just come from bad decisions—it comes from blind ones. Most leadership mistakes aren’t the result of incompetence. They happen when leaders fail to anticipate the ripple effects…
Where Executive Debt Begins: Triggers, Temptations, and Turning Points
Executive Debt rarely starts with malice or incompetence. It often starts with a rush. The pressure to perform, respond to crisis, or seize opportunity can create a leadership environment where…
The Executive Mindsets That Quietly Wreck Growth
Some debt isn’t born from bad strategy or flawed processes—it’s born from the mindset of the person in the mirror. As leaders, we like to believe our experience and instincts…
Executive Debt: The Four Hidden Debts Draining Your Growth
Executive Debt is a quiet killer. Unlike financial liabilities that hit your P&L, Executive Debt erodes your organization from the inside out. Most CEOs won’t even see it coming—until growth…
Executive Debt in Action
Meet Sarah. She’s the CEO of a high-growth tech startup, a rising star in her industry. Investors love her. The media celebrates her. On the outside, it looks like she’s…
Executive Debt 101: The Hidden Gap Holding Leaders Back
What Is Executive Debt? Every company faces challenges—some are obvious (lagging sales, high turnover), while others lurk just beneath the surface. “Executive Debt” is one of those subtle, yet powerful…
About the Author
Monty Fowler
Monty is a revenue & strategy leader and entrepreneur with more than 30 years of technology sales, strategy, marketing, and business development experience. He has served customers in a variety of industries including SaaS & enterprise software, telecommunications, FinTech, IoT, computer hardware, and services. Monty is a Manager Partner of AspireSix.