The Strategy and Leadership Podcast with Anthony C. Taylor

Most executives will tell you they understand their business. Ask them to walk you through their financial statements, and the room goes quiet.
In this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Anthony C. Taylor speaks with Tim Vipond, Co-Founder and CEO of Corporate Finance Institute (CFI), about why financial acumen is a non-negotiable leadership skill and why the rise of AI is making it more critical, not less.
Tim breaks down the three levels of financial acumen every leader needs, regardless of role or background, and why most executives are operating with a dangerous gap in their foundational knowledge.
Anthony and Tim explore how financial literacy creates alignment across leadership teams, why understanding the numbers leads to shorter and more effective meetings, and how the three financial statements function as the foundation of executive thinking. They also address one of the most common misconceptions in the age of AI: that technology can replace the need for financial understanding, and why leaders who believe this are setting themselves up to be outpaced.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
The three levels of financial acumen and where most leaders get stuck
Why financial literacy is a universal leadership skill, not just a finance function
How the three financial statements change the way executives think
Why AI makes financial knowledge more important, not less
Why you can't ask the right questions if you don't understand the numbers
Why clarity is the real goal of good financial analysis, not more data
About Tim Vipond
Tim Vipond is the Co-Founder and CEO of Corporate Finance Institute (CFI), a global finance education platform serving over 2.8 million learners across 180 countries and the creator of the globally recognized FMVA® certification. Before CFI, Tim worked in investment banking at CIBC, corporate development at Goldcorp, and as VP of Finance at Shoes.com, participating in over $3 billion in transactions.
Connect with Tim
Website: https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timvipond
About the Strategy & Leadership Podcast
Hosted by Anthony C. Taylor, strategic advisor to mid-market leadership teams ($30M–$300M) across North America. On this show, he interviews founders, executives, and industry leaders about what actually works when strategy has to survive execution.
Strategy Resources for Leaders
Strategic Alignment Toolkit: https://www.smestrategy.net/toolkit
Book a Strategic Alignment Review: https://www.smestrategy.net/contact
SME Strategy: https://www.smestrategy.net
Anthony Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/
Produced by Rednyne Productions: https://www.rednyne.com

66% of tech projects never launch. 70% of the ones that do fail to deliver what leadership expected. The problem isn't the technology — it's the C-suite.
3x Inc 5000 founder Dustin Domerese joins Anthony C. Taylor to unpack why mid-market tech rollouts keep failing and what CEOs of $30M–$300M companies need to do differently.

In this conversation:

- Why your frontline workers aren't the adoption problem (and who is)- The marketing director who walked into a room and silenced 15 people- The "technology troublemakers" already solving problems you don't know exist- How to hire smart, humble, hungry over expensive senior consultants- What questions every leadership team should ask before the next software investment

About Dustin Domerese

Dustin Domerese is Managing Partner at Dynamic Consultants Group, a 3x Inc. 5000 Microsoft consulting firm. He is a thought leader, bestselling author, and technology innovator within the Microsoft ecosystem, delivering his experience in CRM, ERP, and software development to business leaders and technical teams.
Dustin has consulted for more than 300 companies across a wide range of industries and has worked with organizations across the Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, and Salesforce ecosystems. Prior to founding multiple companies, he worked with organizations including Barclays, EMC2, HP, and Microsoft.
He is also the founder of PowerLearn Academy, where he helps train and develop the next generation of technology consultants by focusing on building internal talent and capability.
Dustin is a global speaker on technology and digital transformation and has presented at conferences around the world. Outside of work, he is an accomplished musician, outdoor enthusiast, and a self-described mostly terrible golfer.

Connect with Dustin
Website: https://dynamicconsultantsgroup.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-domerese-a0039011/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dynamicconsultantsgroup4151

About the Strategy & Leadership Podcast

The Strategy & Leadership Podcast is hosted by Anthony C. Taylor, a strategic advisor to mid-market leadership teams ($30M–$300M) across North America.
Anthony works directly with CEOs and senior leaders to help them align their teams, clarify priorities, and execute strategy effectively in complex organizations.
On this show, he interviews founders, executives, and industry leaders about what actually works when strategy has to survive execution.

Strategy Resources for Leaders
Download the Strategic Alignment Toolkit:
https://www.smestrategy.net/toolkit
Book a Strategic Alignment Review:
https://www.smestrategy.net/contact
Learn more about SME Strategy:
https://www.smestrategy.net
Connect with Anthony Taylor on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/
Produced by Rednyne Productions
https://www.rednyne.com

What if the biggest mistake leadership teams are making with AI isn’t about the technology at all?
In this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Jeroen De Flander, international expert in AI Strategy and Strategy Execution, keynote speaker, and co-founder of The Performance Factory.
Jeroen has worked with more than 500 companies worldwide and has spent decades helping organizations close the gap between strategy and execution. In this conversation, he breaks down a simple but powerful framework for thinking about AI inside your organization: Augment, Automate, Aspire.
Anthony and Jeroen explore why most leadership teams are still focused on the wrong level of AI adoption, how strategy is ultimately about making clear choices, including what not to do, and why delegating AI decisions to IT is one of the biggest risks in today’s boardrooms.
They also discuss how AI should be treated as a strategic capability, not just a tool, how leaders can use it to improve processes and create new value for customers, and why the real opportunity lies in rethinking business models entirely.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
Why strategy is fundamentally about making clear choices that last
The importance of defining what your organization will not do
Jeroen’s 3 A framework: Augment, Automate, Aspire
Why most companies are stuck at the lowest level of AI adoption
How AI can improve both internal processes and customer value
Why leadership teams must own AI strategy instead of delegating it
How AI is reshaping business models and long-term competitive advantage
About Jeroen De Flander
Jeroen De Flander is an international expert in AI Strategy and Strategy Execution, and a keynote speaker who has inspired audiences in more than 45 countries.
He is a professor at TIAS School for Business and Society and Academic Director for both the Strategy Execution Master and the AI Strategy Program. Jeroen is the bestselling author of several books, including Strategy Execution Heroes, The Execution Shortcut, and The Art of Performance, and creator of The 8 Model.
As co-founder of The Performance Factory, he supports organizations in developing practical AI strategies and achieving stronger execution results. He has worked with more than 500 companies worldwide and contributes to the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council.
His current work focuses on how AI reshapes strategic thinking and execution inside organizations.
Connect with Jeroen:
Website: https://www.jeroen-de-flander.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeroendeflander/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jeroendeflander1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeroendeflander/
X: https://x.com/JeroenDeFlander
About the Strategy & Leadership Podcast
The Strategy & Leadership Podcast is hosted by Anthony Taylor, a strategic advisor who works with mid-market leadership teams ($30M–$300M) across North America.
For more than 15 years, Anthony has been in the room with leadership teams navigating growth, transitions, and the alignment challenges that come with scaling complex organizations.
On this show, he interviews CEOs, founders, and senior leaders about what actually works when strategy has to survive execution.
If you lead a team and want to get better at it, subscribe.
Strategy Resources for Leaders
Download the Strategic Alignment Toolkit
https://www.smestrategy.net/toolkit
Book a Strategic Alignment Review
https://www.smestrategy.net/contact
Learn more about SME Strategy
https://www.smestrategy.net
Connect with Anthony Taylor on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/
Produced by Rednyne Productions
https://www.rednyne.com

What happens when success itself starts pulling your company away from its mission?
In this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Eric Ries, entrepreneur and author of Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad… and How Great Companies Stay Great.
Eric is best known for The Lean Startup, a book that reshaped how modern companies are built. In this conversation, he expands on that foundation and challenges one of the most deeply held assumptions in business: that corruption and failure are the result of bad actors rather than flawed systems.
Anthony and Eric explore why even well-intentioned leaders and organizations drift toward short-term thinking, how “financial gravity” pulls companies away from their purpose, and what it takes to design organizations that can scale without losing their mission.
They also discuss the role of governance as a strategic advantage, why trust is one of the most valuable assets a company can build, and how leaders can rethink profit, accountability, and long-term value creation in a way that aligns performance with purpose.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
Why good companies go bad even with strong leadership
How structural design, not morality, drives long-term outcomes
What “financial gravity” is and how it impacts decision-making
Why governance should be treated as a strategic function, not compliance
How to build organizations that scale without losing their mission
About Eric Ries
Eric Ries is an entrepreneur, author, and creator of the Lean Startup methodology, which has influenced how a generation of companies approach innovation and growth. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup, as well as The Startup Way and The Leader’s Guide.
Over the past two decades, Eric has worked with founders, executives, and investors to rethink how organizations are built and governed. He is the founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange and has launched multiple companies, including IMVU and Answer.AI.
His latest book, Incorruptible, explores how organizations can be designed to resist short-term pressures, build trust, and create long-term value without losing their core mission.
About the Strategy & Leadership Podcast
The Strategy & Leadership Podcast is hosted by Anthony Taylor, a strategic advisor who works with mid-market leadership teams ($30M–$300M) across North America.
For more than 15 years, Anthony has been in the room with leadership teams navigating growth, transitions, and the alignment challenges that come with scaling complex organizations.
On this show, he interviews CEOs, founders, and senior leaders about what actually works when strategy has to survive execution.
If you lead a team and want to get better at it, subscribe.
Strategy Resources for Leaders
Download the Strategic Alignment Toolkit
https://www.smestrategy.net/toolkit
Book a Strategic Alignment Review
https://www.smestrategy.net/contact
Learn more about SME Strategy
https://www.smestrategy.net
Connect with Anthony Taylor on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/
Produced by Rednyne Productions
https://www.rednyne.com

Why Your Leadership Team Isn’t Aligned on What Actually Drives Value with Lee Benson
What happens when a leadership team can’t agree on what actually drives value?
In this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Lee Benson, a multi-exit CEO who has built and sold companies ranging from seven to nine figures and developed a practical methodology for aligning teams around what matters most.
Lee has spent decades working with leadership teams across organizations of all sizes, helping them close the gap between strategy and execution by focusing on one critical idea: every team must be aligned around a single Most Important Number that reflects the value they are designed to create.
In this conversation, Anthony and Lee explore why most leadership teams struggle to clearly define what drives value, how misalignment shows up across departments, and why measuring the wrong things creates friction, slows execution, and limits growth.
They also discuss the role of the CEO in driving value, how to cascade priorities across an organization, and why avoiding hard conversations around performance is one of the biggest barriers to alignment and results.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
Why most leadership teams are not aligned on what actually drives value
How to define the Most Important Number for your organization and teams
The hidden cost of measuring the wrong metrics across departments
Why misalignment creates execution gaps and slows growth
How strong leaders handle performance and accountability conversations
About Lee Benson
Lee Benson is a multi-exit CEO, founder, and leadership advisor.
He is the CEO of Execute to Win and the creator of the MIND Methodology (Most Important Number and Drivers), a framework designed to help organizations align teams, improve execution, and increase business value over time. Over the past 25 years, Lee has founded multiple companies with exits ranging from seven to nine figures and has worked with hundreds of leadership teams to accelerate value creation.
About the Strategy & Leadership Podcast
The Strategy & Leadership Podcast is hosted by Anthony Taylor, a strategic advisor who works with mid-market leadership teams ($30M–$300M) across North America.
For more than 15 years, Anthony has been in the room with leadership teams navigating growth, transitions, and the alignment challenges that come with scaling complex organizations.
On this show, he interviews CEOs, founders, and senior leaders about what actually works when strategy has to survive execution.
If you lead a team and want to get better at it, subscribe.
Strategy Resources for Leaders
Download the Strategic Alignment Toolkit
https://www.smestrategy.net/toolkit
Book a Strategic Alignment Review
https://www.smestrategy.net/contact
Learn more about SME Strategy
https://www.smestrategy.net
Connect with Anthony Taylor on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/
Produced by Rednyne Productions
https://www.rednyne.com