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Join for freePosted: Fri 16th Oct 2026
Leading and managing your business in the world today requires a new level of creativity, clarity and confidence.
In this Lunch and Learn, led by Emily Whitehead, we look at three key foundations to help you feel in the driver's seat again.
Create a North Star for your business
Build a simple strategic map
Build new space and communication into your everyday
Emily is an executive coach and mentor with over 20 years’ experience supporting people and organisations to perform better.
She works with multiple business schools, writing and delivering MBA modules, and delivers flagship programmes such as Help to Grow. Her approach places people, places and the planet at the heart of the conversation.
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Lightly edited for clarity.
Caitriona O'Connor: Hello, everyone, and welcome to today's Lunch and Learn. My name is Caitriona, and I'll be your host today. For those of you attending a Lunch and Learn for the first time, Enterprise Nation is a vibrant community platform for start-ups and small businesses.
I'm pleased to introduce Emily Whitehead, a business coach and consultant. In this session, Emily will look at three key foundations to help you feel in the driver's seat again. If you have any questions, please post them in the chat, and we'll do our best to answer them at the end of the session.
Today's webinar will be recorded, and we will send a follow-up email later today with the recording and further resources. Over to you, Emily.
Emily Whitehead: Thank you so much, Caitriona. Hello, everybody, and welcome to this Lunch and Learn. You can find me in the LinkedIn chat, and I am a business coach and consultant. I've been running my own business for 24 years.
One of the questions I'm asked more and more often is how you manage your business in a rapidly changing world. I once wrote and taught an MBA module on this, so we could easily spend a week on it. In this session, I hope to signpost a few questions and factors you might like to think about in your own business.
These are some of the key foundation stones that can help you steady the ship as the world changes so rapidly. Let's start with the context. All of you, no doubt, are aware of the macro challenges the world faces, and so are all the businesses I speak to.
Even if we only think about the heat waves at the back end of this summer, we can see how climate change affects our businesses. It affects us personally, but also the way people work, the way energy is used and the way our supply chains operate.
Another challenge most of you will be aware of is the rapid change in the digital world. Everybody is talking about AI, and although there are lots of opportunities and positives, it is still a huge challenge to manage a business in a sector that is changing all the time. Are you keeping up? Do you know enough? Are you safe and secure?
Then, of course, there is geopolitics. What felt like stable supply chains, stable energy prices and stable news doesn't always feel that stable now. When I speak to founders and business leaders, I see a real impact on how they keep their business growing and stay with their strategy while remaining agile.
Those external factors also create internal uncertainty. It affects confidence, how your teams feel and how all the stakeholders in your business feel. Complex day-to-day operations can feel overwhelming at times.
So I want to look at some of the key factors that can steady the ship. As the next quote says, it's about turning those challenges into opportunities. What can we do in our business to get back in the driving seat?
The beauty is that small businesses are often the most agile and responsive, and the most able to meet those challenges and changing winds. I love this Chinese proverb, which you will probably have heard: when the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills. Many of you will be entrepreneurially minded, energised and ready to meet those challenges and find a way forward.
The first key factor, which may not be new to many of you but is well worth revisiting, is the north star of your business. That means revisiting, or perhaps visiting for the first time, two foundation stones of all business: vision and mission. Businesses with purpose and clear direction, whether that is business for good or otherwise, are statistically often the ones that ride the waves of change most effectively.
They also help a business stay on track even if the journey meanders in ways you hadn't expected. Let's think about vision first, as vision and mission sometimes get mixed up. As far as I'm concerned, vision is how you see your business in the world of the future.
Clearly, we can't predict the future, which is what this webinar is about. But vision is how you want your business to be seen. It might be communicated publicly or kept internal, but it creates a north star that you, as a founder or leader, can follow, and that everyone else can understand, be inspired by and believe in.
It gives you a steady navigational direction, as I've put on the slide. If you want to change the world one widget at a time, or make the world a better place through the service you offer, then that is your vision. You may not do it all on your own, but you want to be part of that movement and that future world.
Mission comes next. Vision is the north star, and mission underpins it. Your mission is what you do in your business day in, day out, and the way that you do it.
I always think of a concise mission as an umbrella. The spike of the umbrella is the vision, and the mission is the dome when it's pushed out in the rain. There are multiple spokes underneath, and those spokes are the opportunities in your business.
You might decide to do one thing and then add something else, but it all sits under that safe, concise mission, which aligns every decision. For example, if you want to adopt some digital transformation in your business, you can do that within the umbrella of your mission and vision. You simply ask: Is it aligned to our mission, and does it feel right for us to do?
Let's build on that and think about strategy made simple. In a lunch and learn, we can't cover everything strategy requires. But how do we create a strategy that is resilient and gives us a clear framework for running the business every day, while remaining flexible enough to respond to markets and changing customers?
Always start with the foundation stones, and communicate them clearly. Vision is first, so that everybody knows where you're heading. It also reminds you where you're heading when you lose faith, when you worry, or when the macro challenges overwhelm you a little, which happens to everybody at the moment. It's for all your stakeholders too, including your supply chain, associates and teams.
Mission helps you make aligned decisions and stay consistent. It's very tempting, when markets change and the outside world is moving rapidly, to make quick reactive decisions. For sure, we need to pivot and be agile, but we also need to check that those decisions are aligned to the mission.
That way you don't dilute what you're trying to do, or accidentally veer off to the left and find yourself six or 12 months down the line running a business that no longer feels aligned. So it's really important to check in. Purpose is the energy you need when things get tough, and it's why you get up in the morning.
You will all have seen Simon Sinek's Golden Circle, in which why is so much more important than what. Think about the purpose in your business. Is it really clear, is it still fit for purpose, and is it still what you want from the business?
Finally, there are values. Business is not about profit alone; it is also about what it does for people and the planet. We know that businesses that are very clear about that triple bottom line are much better positioned in the market.
Next come strategic pillars, which are the ways you can break down all the things you want to do. Many of you are entrepreneurial and have lots of ideas. But in a world where we can do anything, strategy is what you choose not to do, what you say no to and what isn't right for now.
I'm a big fan of creating three standout priorities in any given period. There was a time when a strategy would last 12 months, but I now think it might last three. Strategy needs re-evaluating a lot, not because you will change it fundamentally that often, but because the world is changing and you need to check whether those three priorities still matter.
Your customers are changing as quickly as the world is, and as quickly as you are. So gather and analyse data as a continuous process in your business. We often set a customer persona, feel we know what our customer needs and perhaps complete a value proposition canvas, but those metrics change all the time.
You can find out through social media, website data, questions and regular surveys. Then evaluate your value, so you are clear that the value you offer aligns with what your customers want and that they get it. In a world with AI, digital transformation and increasing noise, your value needs to stand out very clearly.
Your customers are as challenged as you are, so how are you meeting those challenges and providing that value? Gather and analyse that data, and evaluate your value often. So far, we've covered the foundation stones of any good strategy and the importance of sticking to three key pillars at a time, so that you remain focused and clear and your strategy still aligns with your vision and mission.
We've also talked about value, which is vital to how a business stands out in today's world. It isn't enough to be louder, try harder or simply chase money. We need to be very clear about what we offer and how we make a difference in our customers' lives, whether we're selling widgets, running a gorgeous creative business or offering a professional service.
There are other elements of strategy that matter when managing a rapidly changing world, and the first is creating space. I stand by this: all great strategies have plenty of space in them. By space, I mean enough time, enough opportunity and enough non-productive time.
Time working on the business, rather than in it, needs to be ring-fenced. Founders, leaders, managers and teams all need time and opportunity to keep a continuous improvement culture going, explore ideas, think laterally and ponder problems. It's very difficult, especially in founder-led businesses, to take time with a notebook, stare at the sky or talk through your problems with other people, but it has never been more vital.
Everybody needs to feel motivated by those foundation stones to watch the horizon. If you and your teams feel the vision, mission and purpose clearly, you will know what to look out for and what will matter on the horizon. You will feel more aligned, have more creativity to meet challenges and have more clarity about your next steps.
Creating space could mean time in the diary each week or each month. It could be a mix of alone time, team time, networking time and time with Enterprise Nation. Whatever it is, it's important, and the time you're spending today is an example of that.
The next element is engagement. No good management strategy works in a silo, and no entrepreneurial spirit thrives without space. That spirit, in yourself and in your teams, also needs encouragement, so we need to engage all the time.
I talked earlier about collecting and analysing data about your customers, markets and sectors. This also needs to happen internally so that the entrepreneurial flame stays lit. Consider how you engage your teams, both internal and external, and how often you network, engage in CPD and engage with industry leaders.
How often are you reading? We could read the news and get a bit overwhelmed, but reading professional and sector-specific content all the time helps you understand what's happening in your area. Building an engagement-first culture also encourages feedback, critical analysis and difficult conversations. More than ever, it's important to be open to understanding what is really happening.
That might mean finding a mentor, coach, critical friend or colleague. It also means creating a culture where team members can say, "I don't think this works", "I don't know if this is under our umbrella and our mission" or "I'm not sure this is the right decision". It lets you pause and avoid rushing to adopt all those digital transformations in one go, for example.
I've also talked about communication. In a noisy world, curating a clear communication plan for all stakeholders is crucial. Beyond engagement and feedback, and a culture in which people can critically evaluate what's happening in the business, you need to be ultra-clear with anyone who might buy from you, work with you or recommend you.
They should understand your vision, mission and purpose, how you engage and work, and the proof of that in your day-to-day results. A collaborative way of working will be one of the most powerful things we have in business moving forward. That includes collaborating on best thinking, on adopting AI and staying safe, on engaging our supply chains, and on managing energy consumption and climate change. The more we share, the better we all are.
Clarity is key, but it doesn't have to be about volume. It could be a regular team meeting or consistency in your LinkedIn profile about what really matters in your business. We can talk a lot about what our business does, such as delivering high-quality services, or I might say I'm a business consultant and list the areas I work in.
That's interesting, but there are lots of brilliant consultants out there. What might be more interesting is talking about what you believe in and what's important in business moving forward. That helps you stand out and helps the right stakeholders find you for solutions in a difficult world. It also gives you the space and time to communicate how your business is stable and responding to the market and to customers.
Let me recap. We've talked about the three foundation stones of strategy, starting with vision and mission, which need revisiting because it's crucial in this day and age to stand for something and stand out for something. I think small businesses and SMEs have the best opportunity to do that in many ways.
We've talked about creating that north star feel and making sure that purpose and values are felt by your teams, by yourself, and by external stakeholders and customers. Finally, we've talked about not overcomplicating strategy, and keeping three pillars in place that are regularly reevaluated. Space, engagement and communication need to be enacted at all times so that your strategy can be looked at often.
I'm aware there's an opportunity for you to ask questions or make comments. Thank you for listening and for taking part, and feel free to connect with me on the Enterprise Nation platform. Thank you.
Caitriona: Thank you, Emily. If anyone has any questions, please pop them into the chat. In the meantime, I can get started with this question: how can business owners decide what to prioritise when everything feels urgent and important?
Emily: Such a difficult question. First of all, everything does feel important, and we're all spinning plates. The first thing to ask is what your vision and mission are, and which activities, priorities and actions are most likely to get you towards them more quickly.
There's another great tool called the ease–impact tool. If something is easy and low impact, you might automate or systemise it, such as an automated email response or the way you engage with someone who connects with you on LinkedIn. If something is high impact, meaning it gets you towards your vision and mission more quickly, but is more difficult to do, make it a whole project and give it time and space.
If something is low impact and really difficult to do, consider whether it's a priority at all, and maybe leave it for later. Putting everything in a grid like this helps you see what can be automated, what can be delegated, what can be ignored for now and what is a priority that requires your time.
Caitriona: Thank you. What are some common mistakes businesses make when developing a strategy, and how can they avoid them?
Emily: There are two very common mistakes. The first is not being clear enough about those foundation stones. Sometimes a vision and mission have been put together but sit in a dusty file somewhere, or were created some time ago and are no longer fit for purpose or believed by the founders or teams.
If we haven't got those north star elements in place, there is nothing for the strategy to be built on, and it's wobbly. The second biggest mistake is having too many things in your strategy. It's very tempting to put all 10 ideas in and try to do it all.
Another version of this is treating a big project as a quick task, thinking, "We'll get the website done, then we'll do this, then that", and underestimating how much time it takes. Simplifying strategy is always more effective, I think.
Caitriona: Thank you. How do you balance long-term strategic planning with the need to respond quickly to unexpected challenges or opportunities?
Emily: I think this comes down to direction and space. I know I keep talking about it, but if your vision and mission are very clear, they create that north star over there. Inevitably, all of us meander. Sometimes we have to take a left turn, and sometimes we have to go right around the houses to get back on track, so the north star helps us navigate back.
The second thing is to analyse when rapid change happens. When something big happens in your sector and you feel you have to respond, remember that you can respond today and this week. Ask whether it is aligned to your mission. Even if you feel you've gone off to the left, if it was still aligned to the mission, you will get back to it. It's about making sure that alignment happens in the decision-making process.
Caitriona: Brilliant, thank you. What practical tools or frameworks would you recommend for tracking progress without creating unnecessary admin?
Emily: I'm a big fan of a plan on a page, if anybody is familiar with those. Let's keep it simple, and it's something you can have on your wall and share with all your colleagues. It's really dynamic.
You might have your vision and mission on there, along with your three strategic pillars for the quarter, and you will have created some metrics for those. For example, if you want to relaunch your website and engage a new customer segment, you will have KPIs for that. Are people finding the website? Did we stay in budget? What happens when people land on the website, and do they convert to customers?
Keep that plan on a page visible so that your day-to-day decisions stay aligned with it and you aren't tempted to go down a different path. Keep it as simple as possible and don't overdo the KPIs. Perhaps choose three key KPIs for each of your three strategic pillars. That's enough to indicate whether you're heading in the right direction or whether something needs to change and pivot.
Caitriona: Thank you. We're going towards the end of the presentation now, but we have time for one final question: how can business owners make confident decisions when they don't have all the information they would ideally like?
Emily: It's so hard, because even if you're super well connected, well read and on track, none of us knows everything. What happened in AI yesterday isn't what's happening tomorrow. I think there are two things.
First, stay as connected as possible to your community and network so that you get as much of the latest information as you can. Secondly, ask what's right for your business and what you are trying to achieve in the world. It's very tempting, and I've been tempted myself, to see something on LinkedIn or Instagram and think, "I'm not doing that; I need to do that". But is it really right for you?
Give yourself time to make the decision, and create space in your strategy to do so. Finally, we all make mistakes, and I've made them myself. You will sometimes plump for a decision that turns out not to be right.
But if you didn't risk all your money, kept it within the umbrella of your mission and checked in regularly with your strategy, you will quickly know if you've failed. You won't have made a disastrous failure, and you will have learned. So there is always an element of gut for all of us.
Caitriona: Thank you so much. That's a brilliant way to end the session. Thank you for your presentation, Emily, and thanks to everyone who joined us today. We'll be sharing the recording and further resources in a follow-up email this afternoon. Thank you.
Emily: Thank you so much, everyone, and thanks, Caitriona.
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