Michael Saltzstein Highlights How Small Shortcuts Quietly Build Toward Strategic Trouble Strategic failure rarely begins with a dramatic mistake. More often, it starts with a small exception that feels harmless, a shortcut taken to hit a deadline, or a “temporary” workaround that becomes normal. Michael Saltzstein recognizes that risk can grow in places leaders barely notice because each tradeoff looks reasonable on its own. The decision makes sense in context, the team moves on, and no one feels the impact immediately. That delay is what makes accumulation so dangerous, since it turns cause and effect into separate experiences. When exceptions become routine, the organization’s standards begin to soften. The team learns that it is acceptable to bend the rules when pressure rises, and pressure often increases. A company can still look healthy while this is happening. Metrics may hold steady, customers might not complain yet, and internal confidence can stay high...