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Practical thinking on the problems operators actually face, written for the people running the business, not the people writing about it.

Leadership · September 7, 2026

The Seven Excalibur Archetypes: A Field Guide


The most expensive personnel problem I have watched play out was not a bad hire. It was a good one, in the wrong seat.

What each of the seven archetypes looks like on a good day, what it defaults to when the pressure is real, and the seat it actually belongs in. Plus the reason a seat mismatch keeps getting mistaken for a performance problem.

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More field notes are on the way: how the MPE works in practice, where follow-up breaks for local businesses, and the questions clients ask most. Want them in your inbox as they publish?

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