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Mass job cuts are accelerating again across corporate America. Companies are slashing thousands of jobs and calling it “strategic restructuring.”

But let’s be honest:
Cutting people doesn’t fix a broken structure—it just hides the cracks.

What’s really happening?

▪️ Strategy is lost in silos
▪️ Innovation is stalled inside bureaucracy
▪️ Talent is being shown the door
▪️ Workforces are unprepared for what’s next

These aren’t cost issues.
They’re structure failures.

And yet, many companies keep reorganizing what was—instead of rebuilding for what’s next.

What If Structure Is the Real Barrier?

That’s the question behind the Structured Readiness Lens™.

It’s not a solution. It’s a strategic indicator—a leadership pressure test designed to reveal early signs of structural misalignment, friction, and drift.

The goal?
To help senior leaders reach one critical verdict:

Is our current structure built to lead the next revolution in our industry—or just survive the fallout from the last one?

I’ve seen this process work before.
One simple framework aligned to a CEO’s growth goals was all it took to unlock a full discovery—and expose structural blockers no reorganization would’ve touched.

Next Step: Co-Develop the Lens

The right first move isn’t another reorg. It’s clarity.

That’s why I recommend co-developing the Structured Readiness Lens with your leadership team. In just a few hours, we map where your structure stands—and whether it’s strong enough to carry what’s next.

Because the real question isn’t “How do we reduce costs?”
It’s “Are we even structured to lead what’s next?”

If this sparked even a hint of doubt—or curiosity—I’d welcome a short conversation.
Let’s pressure-test the structure together.

Start here: innovationadvantagellc.com/contact

I’ve worked with companies that looked strong from the outside.
Quarterly results? Solid.
Teams? Busy.
Strategy? On paper.

But inside?

They weren’t building a future.
They were just trying to keep up.

🚩 What Structured Stagnation Looks Like

• Strategy decks gather dust.
• Revenue holds… but relevance quietly fades.
• Top talent walks out… then what?
• Market share softens… then what?
• Stock prices stagnates or declines.

These aren’t surface issues. They’re structural signals.

🔄 And When Layoffs Begin—Structure Starts to Shift

More than 100 major U.S. companies have announced layoffs in 2025. But even a 5% reduction—or the fear of one—reshapes the entire structure.

• Decision rights change.
• Communication slows.
• Future bets get deferred.
• Leaders start managing risk, not opportunity.

Layoffs don’t just reduce workforce—they restructure momentum.

🧭 That’s Where the Structured Readiness Lens™ Comes In

It’s a 30,000-foot diagnostic tool designed to ignite strategic conversation—not deliver a verdict.

You look through the lens and ask:

Are we truly structured to lead the next revolution in our industry?

We can co-develop the lens with you for maximum leadership insight and relevance.

🛑 And What If Your Verdict Is: “We’re Not Future-Fit”?

Good.
That’s when the real work begins.

Because we can help with that.
We build the structural framework needed to lead what’s next.

🔔 Maybe It’s Time for a Structural Wake-Up Call

Most companies never evaluate their structure until a crisis forces their hand.

But the window to lead doesn’t stay open forever.

If this sparked even a hint of curiosity, I’d be glad to walk through an overview of the lens with you.

📩 DM me or email greg@innovationadvantagellc.com.
No pitch. Just perspective.

Before someone else defines your future—take a clear look through the lens.

 

That’s not a trend.
It’s a structural signal.

The NYSE lists over 2,300 companies.
Fewer than 300 matter to the market right now.
The rest? Quietly fading from relevance.

And here’s the catch:
Many of these companies are still reporting growth.
Sales are up. Profits are up.
But stock price? Flat — or even in decline.

Structure is the skeleton—leadership, systems, strategy, and innovation all working in sync to move the company forward.

How is Wall Street responding to the 90%?
The market is quiet — or worse, indifferent.
When performance data says “growth” but the market says “no thanks,” the disconnect isn’t in the numbers.
It’s in the structure.

Stock performance reflects structural credibility.
If the market doesn’t believe the company is built to lead what’s next, it won’t reward what’s now.

The question leaders should be asking:
Is our company structured to lead the next revolution in our industry?

If the answer isn’t clear — I built a one-page Structured Readiness Lens™ to help leadership teams find out.
It ignites deeper thinking about structure.
It reveals the seen and unseen.

 

Contact Innovation Advantage LLC for more information here

This is a perspective about any future state in US political institutional and socioeconomic state of things.  Additionally,  you are thriving now because that is how you were built, to thrive regardless of the state of things.

Yes

Why 2025 Feels So Unsettled — and What History Tells Us About What’s Next

George Friedman’s 2020 book The Storm Before the Calm made a bold claim: America moves through two long-term cycles — Institutional (~80 years) and Socioeconomic (~50 years) — and both are hitting their crisis points right now.

Understanding these cycles offers clarity amid today’s chaos.

Institutional Cycle: 1945–2025 (Ending Now).  A total of 3 Institutional Cycles in US History.

• Born in post-WWII optimism, it built massive federal bureaucracies to manage prosperity and global leadership.
• Over time, bureaucratic complexity exploded, rules outpaced citizen understanding, and unelected administrators began shaping key policy.
• Today, Americans across the spectrum feel ignored, over-regulated, and alienated from their own government.
• Common sense has given way to red tape. Trust in institutions is at historic lows.

Friedman’s forecast? The 2020s will force a constitutional-scale reset — a rethinking of how we govern, regulate, and reconnect citizens with power.

Socioeconomic Cycle: 1980–2020 (Also Just Ended).  A total of 5 Socioeconomic Cycles in US History.

• The Reagan-era cycle focused on free markets, globalization, and technological elites.
• GDP soared — but so did inequality, offshoring, and credential-driven class divides.
• Millions were told, “The system is working,” even as their jobs, wages, and communities vanished.

By 2020, discontent boiled over — left, right, rural, and urban — demanding a more inclusive, grounded economy.

What’s Next in 2025?

We’re in the “storm” now. The pain is real — polarization, inflation, regulatory paralysis, distrust.

But Friedman’s message is ultimately optimistic:

Every cycle ends with renewal. Crises force reinvention. And America, messy as ever, reinvents better than any nation on Earth.  Friedman outlined specific reason for this trait of America.

Expect the next 10 years to reshape:

• Who governs and how
• Who benefits from growth
• What “common sense” leadership looks like

History for all cycles points toward renewal and it is expected to last until the end of these cycles over the next ~80 and ~50 years.

The previous cycles will be examined in posts to come.

 

All the best.

What about your personal career model?  Is it working?

Your employer’s business model, is it working?  How do you know?  Models come and go for cars, refrigerators, cell phones and many others.

Will your personal career model bring success, longevity and achieve your goals.?

Will the company’s business model bring success, value in the market for a sustained period and prosperity for all?

For decades, the existing business models have brought mixed results.  The government model has brought mixed results, most notably debt.  Your personal professional model maybe bringing you mixed results.  What is the answer for any model?  Great question but it requires evaluations, most likely ongoing change and frequent updates to last.

Many company business models have failed completely, continue with a struggle and some are succeeding.  A question, will your personal professional model be sustainable?  Will your employer’s business model last and last through economic cycles?  There are signals for model failures and success.

What is your model’s signals?

All the best.

As we close out another transformative year, it’s worth reflecting on the sweeping waves of innovation that have shaped industries and economies – and what’s on the horizon.

Manufacturing Evolution

Manufacturing 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 are behind us.  Manufacturing 4.0 – smart factories leveraging Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics is underway.  On the horizon, Manufacturing 5.0, personalized production, human-machine collaboration, factories run by AI alongside skilled human talent.

The Internet

The Internet now – instant connection, E-commerce, social media, cloud computing has transformed industries, enabled remote work, democratized information.  On the horizon, Metaverse, this offers a new frontier, immersive virtual environments, digital twins for business, decentralized collaboration.  Although in its infancy, potential appears significant.  The time is now to begin work.  Will Metaverse have a more profound impact than the Internet?  Significant investment has already been made in staff, capital investment and now the first release of a Metaverse. Source is here.

Payments

Digital payments, credit cards, online banking, mobile wallets are entrenched.  Cryptocurrency and Blockchain are expanding.  The Crypto Sector has over 20,000 different types with less than 9,000 active.  Source is here.  On the horizon, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) evolving crypto ecosystems and more.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI and automation are shaping industries and will continue to revolutionize work.  AI’s role in predictive analytics, personalization and decision-making will continue to expand.  On the horizon, Generative AI, AI creativity, content generation and machine learning models.  AI driven automation that will reduce the need for human interaction across even more sectors.

Supply Chain Innovation

With the disruption caused by the pandemic in the supply chain, greater investment is underway in blockchain for tracking goods, AI powered supply chain optimization and localized manufacturing to mitigate risks are underway.  On the horizon, AI driven supply chain, real time, predictive analytics will improve decision-making in logistics.  Localized and distributed manufacturing will reduce dependence on global supply chains and improve local economies.

Space Exploration and Commercialization

The race for space travel, exploration, satellite launches, replace space station, moon landings and travel to Mars all continue at a rapid pace and investment.  It is a viable industry with private companies pushing the boundaries for growth.  Multiple launches each week have become the norm.  On the horizon, Moon and Mars landings, exploration, establish living environments are underway to make them a reality.  Space tourism by private citizens and private investment reached a milestone with Polaris Dawn Crew.  The space frontier and the commercialization of it will provide companies the opportunity for growth who are ready to innovate and pursue.

Education Transformation and Life Long Learning

The shift toward education and remote learning is continuing.  On the horizon, there will likely be more significant push toward personalized learning, AI tutors and micro-credentials as the demand for life long learning grows.  Metaverse is currently driven by gaming.  However, education and Metaverse are expected to thrive together.  According to one source, “students will be able to actually see what they are studying rather than purely reading text about it.  As students study and enter pages of their virtual textbooks, examples would be able to be brought to life in 3D to help students more easily understand particular complex topics.” (Danial, Kiana, Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, 2023, p 169).

Intellectual Property (IP) – Challenges, Opportunities, What’s on the Horizon

In an era defined by rapid technological advancement, intellectual property (IP) has become more critical, more complex than ever.  From AI generated works to blockchain-powered ownership and the rise of the Metaverse, the way we create, protect and manage IP is evolving.

Currently

As AI takes on a more significant role in creating art, music, inventions and design, who owns the rights, where does ownership rest?

The replicating and distributing of digital assets, is easy now.

There are currently differences in IP laws between countries making enforcement difficult.  Businesses are vulnerable to theft in jurisdictions with weaker protections.

Blockchain holds promise for IP management.

On the Horizon

Blockchain technology can revolutionize IP by enabling transparent and immutable records of ownership, licensing, and royalty payments.

AI can enhance IP management by identifying counterfeit good, pirated content and automate legal research for IP disputes.

Metaverse and IP impact, as virtual worlds and economy expands, expect the emergence of IP categories, increase disputes over ownership, trademarks and copyright of digital goods.

The standardization of IP laws across borders could simplify enforcement and strengthen protections for innovators in an increasingly interconnected world.

Conclusion

Beyond 2024, the continued convergence of technologies, industries and societies will develop further.  Innovation is no longer linear; it’s collaborative, it’s interconnected, cross-functional and holistic.  We are entering an era of rapid transformation that requires us to cross traditional boundaries.

IP is at the heart of innovation.  It is now at the crossroads of technology, law and ethics.  The future IP will be shaped not only by legal decisions but also by strategic choices we make to balance protection, access and innovation.

The key to success will be adaptability, collaboration and vision.  It is time to consider how you expect to shape the future.  As leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals, our role is to anticipate, adapt and collaborate.

Your career will be dependent on recognizing this now.  Your company’s ability to be built to last is dependent on leaders recognizing what’s on the horizon now and setting plans in place.

 

All the best

This group is at risk in the future.  The risk is about meeting interest payments coming due.

The zombie company list includes large and small companies.

Take a look.

https://apnews.com/article/zombie-business-corporate-debt-investing-interest-borrowing-d58231b7938dd23775869ad23ccd7705

Is your career, past experiences, accomplishments, education and previous employment ready to stand up to the test of corporate scrutiny, layoffs, algorithms, AI, volatility of the stock market and the overall domestic and global economy?

Time will tell but more and more companies are announcing layoffs in 2024 – Google, Citigroup, Amazon, Twitch, Nike, Intel, Black Rock and more.

Commercial Chapter 11 filings in 2023 were up 72% over 2022.  From 2019 to 2023, there were over 25,900 Commercial Chapter 11 filings.  The year 2024 is expected to continue at 2023 levels.

The analysis about the economy, interest rate, inflation and overall business climate is frankly confusing with one opinion this and another that.  It is an election year, that will contribute to the mixed messages.  However, recession is being presented more and more as under way since 2023 and the economy is about to take a major downturn in March 2024.

Unfortunately, the Chapter 11 companies, their existing business was not built to last.  Now, individuals need to ask if their careers are built to last.

 

All the best on your journey.

Various media outlets present mixed perspectives on the American economy.  One perspective that I reviewed and accept, the stock market is not the American economy and vice versa.  In media, there are multiple speculations on – interest rates, inflation, GDP and other economic information.  However, there are also economic and business-related facts that should not be ignored.

In 2023, commercial Chapter 11 filings increased 72% from 2022.  The increase in filings is expected to continue into 2024.  This expectation is for commercial as well as personal filings.  This is due to several factors.  The commercial filings include large and smaller businesses.  Source: here.

How about your company’s existing business, is its financial as well as operational performance strong enough to fund the company’s current and future needs?  Is the company investing in the existing business as well as innovation?  Is the existing business built to last?  Does your company have a practice of innovation?  If you want to understand the answer to these questions, request our survey.  Contact us through the website here.