CEOs can drive smarter business decisions and realistic growth by engaging frontline employees and abandoning top-down, “impossible” strategies.
Frontline insight can strengthen leadership strategy and promote informed decision making.Let’s stop glorifying the idea of “doing the impossible.” Instead of using it as a catchphrase, let’s use it as it's defined: something thatbe done.
If what we’re really asking is something difficult or risky, let’s call it that. Those words have meaning—and consequences. For years, CEOs have rallied their teams with the language of the impossible, often in support of strategies developed exclusively at the executive level. It sounds inspiring at an all-hands meeting, but what’s often being asked is either incredibly difficult, highly risky, or truly not feasible. Choosing the right words matters. When leaders are honest about whether a strategy is difficult, risky, or genuinely unachievable, they gain immediate clarity on its chances of success. The difficult and the risky can often be navigated—though they may go down in company lore for the wrong reasons. But strategies that are actually impossible? Those are likely to join the 66% of organizational changes that fail, rather than theThere’s a simple way to avoid setting strategies that are unrealistic, unnecessarily risky, or difficult to execute. It’s free, doesn’t require a consultant, and comes with an added bonus: it builds trust across the organization. In fact, it’s the opposite of impossible—it’s entirely doable. All it takes is stepping out of the corner office and engaging with the people closest to the work.Leading from the front line strengthens employee trust, reduces turnover during times of change, and gives you a clearer view of how your business actually operates. It might seem counterintuitive, but giving up a bit of control can make you a more informed and effective leader. As you build relationships across the organization, you start to see how different parts of the business connect, and where strategies are likely to succeed or fall apart. This kind of visibility helps you avoid initiatives that waste time, drain resources, and chip away at your credibility. You can see how the business fits together from the inside—without dragging the entire organization through trial and error to figure it out.Tapping into frontline knowledge starts with something simple: take a walk. Say hello. Watch how people interact with their space, their tools, and each other. Body language, informal exchanges, and quiet routines often reveal more about what’s working—and what’s not—than any dashboard ever could.Ask the team to walk you through a process or show you how they complete a task. Be transparent: let them know you're considering a change that affects their workflow. Often they will have insights into the day-to-day pain points, or ideas for change. And sometimes, you’ll discover that the problem isn’t with the process at all, it’s elsewhere entirely. But you won’t know unless you experience it from the vantage point of the person directly affected.This isn’t just keeping your office door open, it’s about being truly accessible. Consider working outside your office entirely, and moving your desk out into the open. Even a simple move like adding your personal mobile number to your email signature signals that you’re serious about being reachable. Prioritize informal conversations. Those small, everyday interactions build the kind of trust that leads to the deeper insights you can’t get in scheduled meetings.If something needs doing, pitch in. Break down boxes in the shipping area. Clean out the sink. These moments aren’t about optics, they’re about presence. When you show up in the work, you gain access to conversations, concerns, and context that might otherwise never reach your desk. You earn credibility with the people responsible for executing your strategy. And there’s a bonus: you get to break out of the busy cycle of meetings and experience the simple satisfaction of completing a task.There are team members on the front lines who are true experts in their part of the business. When making decisions that impact these areas, involve the people who consistently demonstrate leadership within their teams. Their insight can prevent costly missteps.Before finalizing a decision, take a moment to reflect on how the change will land across departments and levels. You can’t control everyone’s reactions, but acknowledging potential challenges—and inviting input—can lead to simple, smart adjustments.If driving strategic change and, ultimately growth, were as simple as listening to frontline employees, then what’s left for the CEO to do? Why not just issue a survey and delegate the rest? Because leadership isn’t about collecting opinions. The true role of the CEO is to inspire the organization to execute on the shared vision. After you've had conversations with frontline teams and gained a clear understanding of how proposed changes will affect them—and after you’ve acknowledged that some changes will be difficult and may face resistance—your job is to lead with purpose. You are the person who brings people together and inspires them to move forward, collectively and confidently. The kind of alignment required to drive real transformation doesn’t come from a quarterly pep talk. It comes from trust—earned through presence, consistency, and humility. When your team believes that you understand them, they’re far more likely to join you in reshaping it., a provider of comprehensive IT Asset Management services and certified hardware repair for Apple, Dell, HP and Lenovo devices. She began her career at ComputerCare in a part-time customer support role, eventually moving into sales and continuing to learn about the business from her colleagues. Under her leadership, first as President and now as CEO, ComputerCare’s employee base has grown by 120% globally. Georgia would have an open-door policy, but there’s no door at her workstation. When she’s not at her desk, you’ll likely find her in the shipping department breaking down boxes.
Business Decision Making Employee Engagement Frontline Leadership Georgia Rittenberg Computercare C200
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