Executive Talk: Charlie Newark-French on Execution, Rhythm, and the Future of Strategy

In this conversation, Charlie Newark‑French shares a grounded, execution-first view of where organisations most often misjudge the mechanics of strategy, and what that means for CSOs operating under tighter constraints.

Rather than focusing on frameworks or theory, the discussion stays close to what execution data and lived experience consistently show.

Charlie explores:

• Which organisational rhythms leaders underestimate most — and why cadence, not intent, is often where execution first degrades

• Early warning signals of execution gaps, before delivery visibly slips

• The single most impactful move leaders can make when resources are tight, and why focus beats additional process

• How to think about top-down vs bottom-up execution trade-offs, and when each becomes a liability

• Why most measurement systems amplify noise instead of behaviour, and how better signals change outcomes

• How execution discipline and adaptability coexist, especially when priorities shift mid-cycle

• How the role of the CSO is evolving, from strategic architect to execution system designer

• What genuinely excites him about the future of strategy, beyond technology hype
  

The through-line is consistent with what execution research has been showing for years.

Strategy doesn’t fail because leaders lack ambition or intelligence, but fails when the system isn’t designed to turn decisions into movement.

For CSOs and senior strategy leaders, this conversation is a reminder that execution is not something that happens after strategy. It is something that must be deliberately designed into it.

▶️ Watch the full conversation below