I’m a management coach and consultant with a focus on using explicit structures and practices to get clarity and alignment.
Joined April 2009
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27 May 2025
Clarity doesn’t kill connection—misused clarity does. The goal isn’t control. It’s support. Thoughtful structure can help relationships and collaboration thrive, not stifle them.
Read more here: ccowan.substack.com/p/who-lo…
#Leadership #SelfManagement #StructureAndCulture #Holacracy
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20 May 2025
The next time your team stalls out on a big decision, pause and ask: “Who decides who decides?” Most conflict isn't about what to do—it's about who gets to choose. Clarifying authority isn’t control. It’s alignment. ccowan.substack.com/p/who-de…… #leadership #selfmanagement #tealorgs
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14 May 2025
People are usually right when they say something feels off. They're just not always right about why.
Feedback is a signal—use it to investigate, not blindly implement.
Read more here: ccowan.substack.com/p/listen…
#leadership #feedback #selfmanagement
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7 May 2025
Most teams don’t have too few rules—
They have too many of the wrong kind.
In Part 2 of my Structure-Oriented Culture series, I break down 4 types of rules:
✅ Values
✅ Guidelines
✅ Rules
✅ Laws
Use the right one, at the right time.
🔗ccowan.substack.com/p/part-2…
#selfmanagement
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1 May 2025
Structure isn’t enough. Culture has to care about it.
Holacracy gave us the tools. But if the people don’t use them, the structure doesn’t matter.
I call this a “Structure-Oriented Culture”—and it might be the next step for self-management.
🔗 ccowan.substack.com/p/introd…
#Holacracy
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22 Apr 2025
Accountability isn’t punishment.
It’s curiosity, care, and calling people in—not out.
In peer-led teams, if you see the tension, you’re it.
Say something.
Hold the mirror.
📎 Read more: ccowan.substack.com/p/how-to…
#Leadership #Accountability #SelfManagement #TeamCulture #Holacracy
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17 Apr 2025
The success of self-management doesn’t hinge on your structure.
It hinges on whether your culture actually uses it.
More here
🔗 ccowan.substack.com/p/the-si…
#SelfManagement #Holacracy #OrgDesign
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8 Apr 2025
Sometimes “bad actors” don’t break the system—they reveal its flaws.
The real problem? Unclear rules.
🔗 ccowan.substack.com/p/the-tr…
#Leadership #SystemsThinking #Accountability
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2 Apr 2025
Feeling frustrated with Holacracy? You're not alone.
Micromanaging, ignoring feedback, expecting instant mastery—these habits make self-management harder than it needs to be.
Here’s how to avoid the misery 👇
ccowan.substack.com/p/how-to…
#Holacracy #SelfManagement #Leadership
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28 Mar 2025
"Just say no" isn’t enough. Whether you're a parent, manager, or teammate—real leadership means guiding, not just stopping. Redirect energy toward something better. 👉 ccowan.substack.com/p/dont-j… #LeadershipMatters #Communication #BehaviorChange #SelfManagement
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18 Mar 2025
Telling someone what you want isn’t the same as showing them how to do it.
🚫 “Calm down.”
🚫 “Be proactive.”
🚫 “Deliver great service.”
Vague instructions lead to vague results. Instead, guide action with clarity.
Read more: ccowan.substack.com/p/descri… #Leadership #Communication
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11 Mar 2025
"Trust the process" only works if the process is actually worth trusting. If it feels arbitrary or broken, people won’t follow it.
Good processes make sense, support rather than control, and adapt over time. Build trust; don’t demand it. #Leadership ccowan.substack.com/p/trust-…
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5 Mar 2025
Before dismantling something, ask: Why was it built in the first place?
Organizations don’t escape values by refusing to name them—they just leave them unchecked, shaping culture in unseen ways.
Read more: ccowan.substack.com/p/the-il…
#Leadership #OrganizationalCulture #ValuesMatter
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Chris Cowan retweeted
24 Feb 2025
⏳ Reminder! ⏳
Last chance to sign up as an early reader for my book on shared company values! 📖
✅ Read & comment on the draft
✅ Join a short discussion
✅ Get $100 for your insights!
Sign up by Thursday! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F…
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25 Feb 2025
Your words shape reality. If they lose weight, so does your influence.
✅ Are your words in sync with reality?
✅ Do your expectations carry real weight?
Align words with action. Read more: ccowan.substack.com/p/do-you…
#Leadership #Integrity #SelfManagement
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18 Feb 2025
Urgency overrides decentralization—unless you plan for it.
Without a plan, crises push teams back into hierarchy. Define roles, set urgency triggers, and ensure authority flows back. Ignore urgency, and it will define you.
Read more here: ccowan.substack.com/p/overco…
#SelfManagement
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13 Feb 2025
📢 Looking for feedback!
I’m wrapping up a book on how companies misuse values & need a small group to review a draft. Participants get $100 for their feedback!
Interested or want more info? Email me at chrcowan@gmail.com before Feb. 27th!
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11 Feb 2025
Ever stressed over something just because someone else was?
Ask yourself: If no one else cared, would I?
This simple question helps separate real priorities from borrowed worries.
Read more: open.substack.com/pub/ccowan…
#SelfManagement #Leadership #EmotionalBoundaries #Holacracy
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5 Feb 2025
Feeling overwhelmed? The key isn’t just survival—it’s prevention. When your commitments exceed your control, overwhelm takes over. Here’s how to get ahead of it.
🔗ccowan.substack.com/p/whelme…
#GettingThingsDone #Productivity #TimeManagement #gtd
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