Strategic Leadership
Breaking Down Silos: How Leaders Can Unite the Organization for Successful Change

As a leader, you’ve likely faced the daunting task of implementing change within your organization. Whether it’s a new strategy, restructuring, or technology adoption, change can be a difficult and complex process. In fact, a study by McKinsey found that only 30% of companies successfully execute their change initiatives. One of the most significant barriers to successful change is the existence of silos within the organization.
What Are Silos and Why Are They a Problem?
Silos refer to isolated departments or teams within an organization that operate independently without effective communication or collaboration. Silos can be vertical (between different levels of management) or horizontal (between different departments or functions). They can lead to duplicated efforts, inefficiencies, and a lack of shared understanding of the organization’s goals and objectives. Silos can also stifle innovation, creativity, and employee engagement.
The Consequences of Silos
The consequences of silos can be far-reaching and devastating to an organization’s success. Some of the most significant consequences include:
- Reduced productivity: Silos can lead to duplicated efforts, wasted time, and resources.
- Lack of innovation: Silos can stifle innovation and creativity, making it difficult for the organization to stay ahead of the competition.
- Poor communication: Silos can lead to a lack of clear communication, causing misunderstandings, miscommunications, and frustration.
- Low employee engagement: Silos can create a sense of isolation and disconnection among employees, leading to low morale, high turnover, and absenteeism.
- Difficulty adapting to change: Silos can make it difficult for the organization to adapt to change, as different departments or teams may have conflicting priorities and goals.
Breaking Down Silos: Strategies for Leaders
So, how can leaders break down silos and create a more unified and effective organization? Here are some strategies to consider:
1. Lead by Example
As a leader, you set the tone for the organization. Show your employees that you value collaboration and communication by being a role model. Engage with employees from different departments, ask questions, and seek feedback.
2. Foster Open Communication
Create an open and transparent culture by encouraging open communication across departments. Hold regular meetings, town halls, and open forums to keep employees informed and engaged.
3. Define Clear Goals and Objectives
Clearly define the organization’s goals and objectives, and ensure that all departments and teams understand how their work contributes to the overall success of the organization.
4. Empower Employees
Give employees the autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work. This will encourage collaboration and innovation across departments.
5. Recognize and Reward Collaboration
Recognize and reward employees who demonstrate collaboration and teamwork. This can be done through employee recognition programs, bonuses, or promotions.
6. Create Cross-Functional Teams
Form cross-functional teams to tackle specific projects or initiatives. This will encourage collaboration and communication among employees from different departments.
7. Provide Training and Development Opportunities
Provide training and development opportunities to employees to help them develop skills and knowledge that can be applied across departments.
8. Celebrate Successes and Learn from Failures
Celebrate successes and learn from failures. Conduct post-project reviews to identify areas for improvement and to recognize the contributions of individual employees.
Conclusion
BREAKING DOWN SILOS is a critical step in achieving successful change within an organization. By implementing the strategies outlined above, leaders can create a more unified, collaborative, and effective organization. Remember, breaking down silos is an ongoing process that requires commitment and effort from leaders and employees alike. By working together, you can create an organization that is better equipped to adapt to change and achieve its goals.
FAQs
Q: How can I overcome resistance to change from siloed departments?
A: Start by building relationships with key stakeholders and building trust. Communicate clearly and transparently about the reasons for change and how it will benefit the organization. Provide training and support to help employees adapt to the change.
Q: How can I encourage collaboration across departments?
A: Create opportunities for cross-functional teams to work together on projects. Provide training and development opportunities to help employees develop skills and knowledge that can be applied across departments. Recognize and reward employees who demonstrate collaboration and teamwork.
Q: What are some common silos in an organization?
A: Common silos include departmental silos (e.g. sales, marketing, HR), functional silos (e.g. IT, finance, operations), and hierarchical silos (e.g. management levels). Silos can also exist between different locations or teams within an organization.
Q: How can I measure the success of breaking down silos?
A: Measure success by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as productivity, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction. Conduct regular surveys and feedback sessions to gauge employee attitudes and perceptions. Monitor cross-functional collaboration and communication, and recognize and reward employees who demonstrate collaboration and teamwork.
Strategic Leadership
Leading Through Uncertainty: What Strategic Leadership Looks Like in 2025

In a world that seems to shift by the week—economically, politically, and technologically—leadership isn’t just about vision. It’s about stability, agility, and the ability to guide people through change without losing momentum.
Strategic leadership in 2025 isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating the conditions where your team can thrive, even when the future isn’t fully clear.
Why Strategic Leadership Looks Different Now
The traditional leadership playbook—set the course, enforce the plan, stick to the script—doesn’t work in environments where the landscape changes overnight. From global conflict and supply chain disruptions to AI adoption and workforce decentralization, leaders are being asked to navigate complexity at a whole new level.
What’s needed now is responsive leadership—the ability to make decisions that are both adaptive in the short term and aligned with long-term strategy.
Key Traits of Strategic Leaders in 2025
1. Clarity in Ambiguity
Leaders don’t need to pretend everything is certain. But they do need to clearly communicate what is known, what is changing, and what the organization is working toward. Transparency builds trust—and trust builds performance.
2. Vision With Flexibility
Strategic leaders in 2025 are visionaries who are also scenario planners. They don’t just say “this is where we’re going,” they say, “here’s what we’ll do if things shift.” This kind of thinking allows teams to stay grounded but adaptable.
3. People-Centered Decision-Making
The best leaders recognize that systems don’t execute strategy—people do. They consider the human impact of every decision, from AI rollout to hybrid policies. That doesn’t mean avoiding hard calls—it means communicating them with empathy and clarity.
4. Strategic Listening
In uncertain times, leaders need to listen more than they talk. Employees, clients, and stakeholders often see shifts before leadership does. Strategic leaders ask, “What are we hearing?”—then use that feedback to fine-tune decisions.
How Strategic Leaders Build Resilience Across Teams
Great leaders don’t just manage risk—they build resilient cultures. They:
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Create psychological safety so people aren’t afraid to raise concerns
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Encourage calculated risk-taking and experimentation
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Lead by example when it comes to learning and adaptability
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Develop future-focused teams by investing in upskilling and mentorship
Final Thought
Strategic leadership in 2025 is less about controlling outcomes and more about guiding people through uncertainty with purpose, integrity, and foresight. The leaders who rise now are the ones who understand this truth: clarity, adaptability, and people-first thinking are the new bottom line.
Strategic Leadership
Leading Through Uncertainty: Why Clarity Is a Strategic Advantage

In 2025, one of the most important traits a leader can have isn’t a fancy title, an Ivy League degree, or a decade of experience—it’s clarity.
We’re in a time where change is constant. Economic shifts, workplace restructuring, AI disruptions, and global challenges are forcing leaders to make quick decisions under pressure. But here’s the truth: people don’t expect you to have all the answers. They just want to know where they stand.
Clarity isn’t about having it all figured out—it’s about leading with intention, honesty, and direction, even when things are unclear.
What Clarity Looks Like in Real Leadership
Clarity means being upfront about what’s happening and why it matters. It means setting expectations, not assumptions. And most importantly, it means communicating with empathy—not just urgency.
Here are a few real-world examples:
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Instead of “We’ll see what happens,” say “Here’s what we know right now, and here’s how we’re preparing.”
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Instead of avoiding tough conversations, address uncertainty head-on and offer reassurance through transparency.
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Instead of making decisions in a vacuum, involve your team in the thought process so they feel part of the solution.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
In times of uncertainty, people look to leadership for a sense of stability—even if that stability is just knowing what to expect for the week ahead. Lack of communication doesn’t feel neutral. It feels like something is wrong. That silence? It leaves space for fear, assumptions, and disengagement.
Clarity, on the other hand, creates trust.
When teams feel informed and guided, they’re more engaged, more resilient, and more likely to step up. They don’t need perfection. They need presence.
How Leaders Can Start Practicing Strategic Clarity
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Repeat the vision—often. People forget. Remind them why the work matters.
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Simplify your message. Clarity beats cleverness every time.
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Ask questions. Make sure your team understands the goals, their roles, and the next steps.
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Stay human. Empathy is a leadership superpower. Use it.
Final Thoughts
Strategic leadership in 2025 isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being clear, even when the path ahead is still unfolding.
You don’t have to predict the future. But you do need to help your team move forward with purpose, confidence, and trust.
And that starts with one simple question:
What do my people need to hear from me today to feel secure and seen?
Start there—and you’re already leading.
Strategic Leadership
Everette Taylor’s Unconventional Path to Leadership

When Everette Taylor was named CEO of Kickstarter in 2022, it marked a historic milestone—not just for the pioneering crowdfunding platform, but for the tech industry, where Black leadership at the highest levels remains rare. At the time of his appointment, Taylor became one of only a handful of Black CEOs leading a global tech company—breaking barriers in a space that has long struggled with representation. Taylor wasn’t just making noise. He was making impact.
The Journey to the Top
In a candid video conversation with Forbes, Taylor spoke about that journey—from the margins to the main stage—and how his unconventional rise continues to shape his leadership and Kickstarter’s comeback. Raised by a single mother on the South Side of Richmond, Virginia, he dropped out of college—twice. He slept in his car, cold-called his way into rooms where no one expected to see him, and launched his first startup at 19.
Early Life and Career
That early boldness set the tone for a career defined by risk-taking, reinvention, and relentless drive. Without pedigree or privilege, Taylor forged his own leadership style—one that blends creative vision, market instinct, and a deep understanding of culture. His big break came when tech veteran Mike Steib took a chance on him at Artsy, naming Taylor CMO at 29. “Mike taught me what it meant to be a CEO,” Taylor says. “Everything is your responsibility. No excuses.”
Turning Around Kickstarter
By the time he took the helm, Kickstarter’s shine was starting to dim. Though still the leader in its space, “revenue was declining, competitors were gaining ground, and the company’s cultural relevance had started to fade. We weren’t operating at the level we needed to be,” Taylor recalls. To reignite Kickstarter’s influence as a vital player in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem, Taylor made a bold bet on the creator economy. “I didn’t just want to be a leader in crowdfunding,” he says. “I wanted Kickstarter to be a leader in the creator economy.”
Focusing on Creator Education
Since Taylor joined as CEO, creator education has become a central focus at Kickstarter, and over the past year alone, Kickstarter has rolled out dozens of new product features designed to support creators not just at launch, but to help them sustain, scale, and thrive throughout the full lifecycle of their projects. It’s a vision that’s already showing results, as the company returned to consistent year-over-year revenue growth. “Project success rates on the platform have climbed from around 50% to 65%,” he says. “That matters more to me than revenue or any other metric because our mission is to help bring creative projects to life—and that starts with giving creators the tools, support, and education they need to succeed.”
Cultural Transformation
But the transformation hasn’t stopped at product innovation. Taylor also reimagined the company’s internal culture to reflect the diversity of the global creative community it serves. “Inclusivity was mission-critical,” he says. “It started internally—with our team. My CMO is a Black woman. My head of content is a man of color. Our head of social is a woman of color. We built a team that looks like the world we serve.” With that diverse leadership team in place, together they revamped outreach and education, expanded funding initiatives, and positioned Kickstarter not just as a launchpad, but as infrastructure for creators of all kinds.
Personal Mission
“For me, this work is personal,” Taylor says. “I know what it’s like to fight for an opportunity. I know what it means to have someone believe in you. That’s what we’re building at Kickstarter—a place where creators don’t just launch projects, they build movements.” Two years since Taylor first stepped into the top role at Kickstarter, now 35, he remains an anomaly in the tech C-suite. But he’s determined not to be the last. “There are so many incredible Black men and women who deserve these seats,” he says. “I carry the responsibility of paving the way for them.”
Conclusion
Everette Taylor’s journey to the top of Kickstarter is a testament to his determination and innovative spirit. By focusing on creator education and cultural transformation, he has successfully turned around the company and positioned it for long-term success. As a Black leader in the tech industry, Taylor is committed to paving the way for others and creating a more inclusive and diverse community.
FAQs
- Q: Who is Everette Taylor?
A: Everette Taylor is the CEO of Kickstarter, a pioneering crowdfunding platform. - Q: What challenges did Taylor face in his early career?
A: Taylor dropped out of college twice, slept in his car, and had to cold-call his way into rooms to get opportunities. - Q: What is Taylor’s vision for Kickstarter?
A: Taylor wants Kickstarter to be a leader in the creator economy, providing tools, support, and education to help creators succeed. - Q: How has Taylor transformed Kickstarter’s internal culture?
A: Taylor has reimagined the company’s internal culture to reflect the diversity of the global creative community it serves, hiring a diverse leadership team and revamping outreach and education initiatives. - Q: What is Taylor’s personal mission?
A: Taylor’s personal mission is to create a place where creators can build movements, and to pave the way for other Black men and women in the tech industry.
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