Let’s get one thing straight: if you’re in the top seat, waiting for your team (or yourself) to build the perfect plan to tackle 2025, you’re already falling behind. And if no one’s told you yet—there is no perfect plan. But here’s what you do have: experimentation.

Experimentation is the secret weapon every top leader needs now more than ever. And yet, how often do I hear things like:

• “Let’s try this and see what happens.”

• “We hope this approach works.”

• “It’s just a pilot for now.”

Let me decode that for you: what you’re really saying is experiment, but without the structure, intention, or urgency that experimentation demands. Leaders in the top seat who treat experimentation like a random dart-throwing contest are wasting time, money, and credibility. And every time I hear this, I think of that scene from Grumpier Old Men: “You can wish in one hand and crap in the other…” Well, you know where that goes.

True experimentation is disciplined. It has a hypothesis, parameters, and a clear objective. It’s not throwing something into the wild and hoping it survives. And if you’re thinking you need to build a whole product or spend millions to test an idea—stop. I’ve seen leaders burn through tens (and hundreds) of millions overthinking their way into failure. Let’s not do that.

Why Experimentation Is the Superpower You Need in 2025

This year is redefining leadership, and here’s why experimentation is the skill you need to master:

1. The World Won’t Stop Changing:
   Hybrid work, AI disruption, shifting consumer behavior—it’s chaos out there. If you’re clinging to old playbooks, you’re already behind.

2. Perfection Is the Enemy of Progress:
   Leaders at the top often feel the pressure to deliver perfectly. But waiting for the “perfect” strategy often means inaction. Experimentation moves you forward—fast.

3. Resilience Is Built Through Experimentation:
   The more you test and adapt, the better your organization becomes at navigating uncertainty. Experimentation builds creativity, flexibility, and problem-solving muscles.

Here’s the leadership reality check: every big decision starts with a hypothesis. You believe doing X will lead to Y. Instead of endlessly debating or overengineering the perfect solution, ask yourself, “What’s the simplest, fastest, and cheapest way to test this idea?”

Why This Isn’t Just Theory for Me

I learned the value of experimentation the hard way. Early in my leadership career, I believed sitting in the top seat meant having all the answers. I clung to detailed plans and tried to control every variable.

And in the end? We did what I like to call a “post-mortem”—which basically meant the stupid project died on the table. So, next time, I thought: tighten everything down. More control, more data. Surely, that would work, right? Spoiler: it made everything worse.

Finally, I let go. I asked my team for input. We started running small experiments—testing workflows, trying new communication tools, and rethinking how decisions were made. Some worked, some didn’t—but we moved faster, learned faster, and built trust.

The ultimate goal never changed, but how we got there couldn’t have been more different.

That’s when it clicked: experimentation isn’t chaos—it’s strategy in action. It’s how you move forward when uncertainty feels overwhelming. And here’s the kicker: when every instinct tells you to control every microscopic piece, that’s when you need to do the exact opposite.

How Leaders in the Top Seat (and Every Other Level) Can Experiment With Purpose

As a top leader, your experiments set the tone for your entire organization. Here’s how to do it right:

1. Start With a Hypothesis:
   What’s the problem, and what’s your best guess for solving it? Be specific.

2. Think Small (Because Small is FAST):
   You don’t need to launch a massive initiative to test an idea. Find the fastest, simplest way to test your hypothesis.

3. Set Clear Parameters:
   Define what success looks like before you begin. Use data and feedback to evaluate the results.

4. Get Buy-In From Your Team:
   Your leadership team will make or break your experiments. Bring them into the process early.

5. Iterate Quickly:
   Learn fast, pivot faster. Build on what works, and ditch what doesn’t.

Experimentation Traps to Avoid

Here’s how experimentation goes off the rails for leaders:

• Making It Too Big: Testing doesn’t mean betting the farm. Start small, refine, and expand.

• Fear of Failure: Some experiments will fail, but that’s where the learning happens.

• Skipping Feedback Loops: If you’re not gathering input and tracking results, it’s not an experiment—it’s a gamble.

Your Experimentation Challenge for 2025

Experimentation is how you transform uncertainty into opportunity. It’s how you outpace the competition, build resilience, and move your organization forward.

For me, embracing experimentation has reshaped how I lead, how I think, and how I approach challenges. My whole framework embraces this concept, and I’ve built a library of leadership experiments that cover everything—from vision to strategy, execution, culture building, and even executive presence.

So, here’s your challenge: What’s the first experiment you’ll run from the top seat in 2025?

Drop it in the comments, or reach out if you want to brainstorm. Let’s turn 2025 into the year of bold experiments and big wins—together.