Nancy Garfinkel

I attribute my success to learning how to make clear decisions under pressure and designing execution around real conditions instead of ideal ones. Over time, I noticed that most projects and goals did not fail because people lacked talent or motivation. They failed because decision-making became fragmented, delayed, or overloaded. Rather than trying to work harder or add more tools, I learned to reduce complexity, clarify priorities, and remove unnecessary decisions so momentum could be sustained. By focusing on where decisions slow execution and intentionally designing simpler, more durable systems, I was able to move projects forward consistently, even in environments with limited time, competing demands, or high stakes. That shift from effort to clarity became the foundation of my work and the results I help others achieve.

The best career advice I ever received came in pieces, over time, and often in moments that only made sense later. Early in my career, I learned the importance of making decisions and following through. I was taught to touch something once and make a decision, and to deliver quickly when you start working with someone new or stepping into a new role. Those habits mattered because they build trust early. Consistent follow-through establishes credibility and authority before work has a chance to stall or doubt has time to form.

About ten years into my career, a leader summed up what I was already seeing with a simple phrase: execution wins. It was not a slogan. It was an observation. Projects moved forward when decisions were made, ownership was clear, and people stayed focused on finishing instead of circling. That idea stayed with me as responsibilities grew and complexity increased.

Later, I learned deeper lessons about accountability, time, and leadership. In many corporate environments, accountability is treated as a corrective tool tied to blame. When something goes wrong, attention shifts to protecting positions instead of progressing the work. What I learned instead is that real accountability is personal. It is ownership of decisions, visibility into progress, and feedback that serves the group goal. When accountability is framed this way, trust increases, decision-making improves, and teams perform better because energy is spent moving forward rather than self-protecting.

I also learned that meetings generate work, but they do not complete it. Leaders need protected time to think, process, and decide. Without that space, even highly capable teams become reactive. Over time, I recognized that environments driven by fear and politics consistently undermine execution, no matter how talented the people are. That realization ultimately led me to step into work where clarity, ownership, and progress were not optional.

When I began working with solo entrepreneurs, I saw a different version of the same struggle. There was freedom, but also constant decision pressure. Ownership was total, and execution often broke down under the weight of too many open loops. That was when everything I had learned came together. What began as guidance for individuals became a group coaching program and eventually revealed itself as the spine for strategic work inside organizations. Clear decisions, personal ownership, visible progress, and the confidence to adjust are what allow work to move forward, regardless of the setting.

My advice depends on the environment you’re entering, because the rules are different and pretending otherwise does women a disservice.

If you are entering healthcare leadership or large organizations, understand this early: competence is assumed, but trust is earned through follow-through. Deliver quickly when you start a new role or begin working with new stakeholders. Early execution builds credibility and authority faster than titles ever will. Learn how decisions really get made, not just how they are described on org charts. Think one step ahead of the level above you so you can anticipate needs, identify risks, and surface solutions before problems escalate. Do not be afraid of out-of-the-box thinking. Innovation is valuable, but it matters how it is framed. Learn to communicate ideas in a way that shows alignment with organizational goals rather than resistance to them. Accountability matters here. When accountability is treated as ownership, transparency, and progress toward shared goals, trust grows and teams perform better because energy is spent moving the work forward, not protecting positions.

If you are entering entrepreneurship, consulting, or building your own business, the rules shift dramatically. Failing forward is not only acceptable, it is expected. You will not have perfect information, and waiting to feel ready is one of the most common mistakes new business owners make. Readiness rarely comes first. Growth comes from acting before confidence arrives and learning through motion. This is not fake it till you make it. It is acting on what you know, testing, adjusting, and moving again. Authority in this environment is not granted. It is a decision you make. You decide to take ownership, to speak clearly, and to move work forward without waiting for external validation. “We’ll figure it out and make it work” is not recklessness. It is responsibility paired with execution. Ownership is total, and so is accountability. There is no one else to hide behind, but there is also no ceiling placed on you by hierarchy or politics.

In both worlds, the fundamentals are the same. Show up for yourself. Keep learning. Take responsibility for outcomes, not just effort. Do not confuse activity with progress. Learn to decide, adjust, and move again. Confidence is built by finishing what you start and being willing to course-correct without drama.

The women who succeed long-term are not the ones who wait to feel ready. They are the ones who take ownership early, build trust through execution, and keep moving forward even when the path is unclear.

One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is a growing trust recession. Organizations have invested heavily in leadership development, productivity tools, and performance initiatives, yet many leaders still experience the same problems: stalled execution, rework, decision fatigue, and teams that appear busy but struggle to move important work forward. The issue is not effort or intelligence. It is that too many solutions promise transformation without addressing how decisions are made and how work actually gets finished inside complex systems.

The market is crowded with consultants and speakers who sell inspiration, ambition, or ideal-state thinking, but stop short of building real execution capability. When initiatives fail to stick, leaders are left skeptical, teams become disengaged, and trust in outside support erodes. Over time, this creates fatigue around “the next program” and resistance to change, even when change is genuinely needed.

This challenge creates a meaningful opportunity for organizations willing to focus on execution maturity rather than motivation. Leaders are increasingly looking for practical frameworks that clarify ownership, reduce decision overload, and shorten the distance between planning and results. They want fewer priorities, cleaner decisions, and systems that support follow-through without adding complexity or bureaucracy.

The opportunity now is to replace hype with clarity. Clear expectations. Clear decision paths. Clear accountability that emphasizes ownership and progress rather than blame. Organizations that succeed in this environment are not the ones that promise faster or bigger outcomes than everyone else. They are the ones that design conditions where people can execute consistently, make decisions with confidence, and course-correct early without fear.

In a crowded field, credibility comes from honesty and results. Leaders and teams do not need another framework to memorize. They need execution structures that work under pressure, messaging that tells the truth, and partners who will over-deliver on substance without over-promising outcomes. That is where real progress and sustainable performance are created.

The values that matter most to me are clarity, ownership, and integrity in action.

I value clarity because confusion is costly. In work, it slows execution and drains energy. In life, it creates unnecessary stress and indecision. I believe in naming what matters, making clean decisions, and removing noise so effort is spent on progress, not reactivity.

Ownership is equally important to me. I believe accountability works best when it is personal, transparent, and focused on moving things forward rather than assigning blame. Whether I’m leading, consulting, or managing my own commitments, I value taking responsibility for outcomes and creating environments where others can do the same.

Integrity shows up for me as follow-through. Doing what you say you will do. Setting realistic expectations. Telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable. I value substance over optics and consistency over performance. Trust, in my experience, is built through behavior, not intention.

Outside of work, these same values guide how I live. I protect time to think, create, and reset so I can show up with focus and steadiness. Balance isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing what matters with intention and care.