The Spy Within Us

The People Who Build Pyramids Have a Purpose, a Mission, and a Path to Value

Across every civilization, from the Nile to Wall Street, humans have built pyramids. Some were carved from stone, others from policy, process, and PowerPoint. But the shape persists. Why? Perhaps it is because the pyramid is more than a structure—it’s a belief system. It’s how we make sense of scale. It’s how we create order out of chaos, meaning out of complexity, and continuity out of uncertainty. And yet, for most people, life is lived not at the apex, but somewhere in the middle layers—where the weight is felt most intensely, and where the opportunity for real leadership is often overlooked. In this great conversation we’re going to explore that middle space. The place where most of the world’s work gets done. The place where influence is earned, not granted. And to guide us, we have someone who has lived inside pyramids both ancient and modern—organizationally speaking—and has written a remarkable book about how to navigate them with purpose, clarity, and courage. Christopher Stitt is the author of Scaling Pyramids [https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Pyramids-Leadership-Mid-Level-Bureaucrat/dp/1041095066/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cy8r9WjJ6Z1dwVJIeEnjyJkdebD6grWhNDPHIdWo-WTT5X8kDVv5rWwZgFzKXuHMJF6jtnIIwCT6zUinpWBC-OocsRQFl602L_q0EOb7ayHNktn4q-e_iDkja7f1ht9j07BwdoAsizpiboRF1uqF36AQAIfo6AmkfWZKxxrhPLo.Armv2YOFu3-_y3oD0vtziV5C6YU40OQH0bdY98cFYHs&dib_tag=se&keywords=scaling%20pyramids&qid=1767798656&sr=8-1], a #1 bestseller in Public Affairs, and the CEO of Crisis Lead [https://crisislead.com/] leveraging over 25 years in global security, crisis management, and law enforcement. He’s spent his career helping people at the lower and mid‑levels of their organizational pyramids find their voice, their agency, and their path upward—or outward—with integrity.

The Spy Within Us

“People don’t need a spreadsheet of reasons to trust you. They don’t want another pitch deck. Another promise. Another polished lie. They are waiting for a signal. And what is the most powerful signal: "I see you. I hear you. You matter." Jack Barsky, [https://jackbarsky.com/]a former KGB spy, did not learn this in Harvard Business School. He learned it from his tradecraft as a spy. In the Great Conversation, we navigate intention, truth, and trust between the two worlds. And we end with a question about legacy that many of us can learn from.

The Maestro and The Sage on Path to Value™

All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts… Shakespeare And so it goes with our professional lives as well. The way we enter the business world and how we exit has an “In-between” that establishes the story we one day will tell. This Great Conversation is between two men who have been on that Path to Value™. They share their thoughts, learnings, and their plan for joining together to help others on that journey. Ron Worman of The Sage Group and Dr. Mark L. Vincent, author and founder of Design Group International, Society of Process Consulting, and Maestro-level Leaders discuss their shared values, learnings, and purpose that led them to join forces on the owner’s Path to Value.

Humanizing the Path to More

A “Washing Machine” sits in each company ready to toss you into a cycle of doing. If you let yourself and others enter it, you have shut the door on the full potential of the humans who have come alongside you to create something of value. These people have a conscious or unconscious need for meaning in their lives. If you are the leader: by title or by ownership, you have a choice to make. You can recognize that each person is searching for alignment and see your role as inviting them into your journey, or you can determine what you can extract, and mine it until it doesn’t produce the return you need. What kind of builder are you? This Great Conversation suggests that there is a way to build for value that does not subtract from another. And that ultimately this path can change you and our world. Follow our podcast blogs at: The Great Conversation [https://the-great-conversation.com/]

"I need an AI Path to Value"

The world spins off wheels (models used by any human organization to achieve success in the market). But what if the wheel begins to slow or suddenly stops? In this great conversation we face the existential question: Are we ready for the change that is upon us? This change is multi-faceted. The change is a wheel that can release the energy of the market, the organizations within a market, and the people that help push and pull it into significance. But it needs leaders who see the change and help others through it. We want revolutions in the wheel, not a conflagration. In this Great Conversation, we immerse ourselves in the variables and potential root cause of this change. A strategic "integrator" joins us. Someone who has spent time in the military, consulted with Fortune 500 companies, and consumes data that speaks to the evolving socio-economic road ahead.  Automation scares people. Always has. And it should if you are waiting to see what happens next.   As we conversed and I reflected on the technology transitions I have been through for the last 50 years, I realized this is the perfect time for every leader, including me, to lend a hand. The perfect question came to mind: Can I help others on this AI Path to Value™?  Read more: at The Great Conversation [https://the-great-conversation.com/]