Blogging about procurement, leadership, AI, branding, and strategy — from lived experience, not theory. Reflections on leadership, decision-making, and how brands are built in real life. All views expressed are strictly my own and do not represent my employer.https://drgroh.com/https://drgroh.com/blog/after-the-review/https://drgroh.com/blog/after-the-review/MIT Sloan Management Review will publish its final issue in September. The conversation it carried will need new rooms.Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/why-your-best-people-leave/https://drgroh.com/blog/why-your-best-people-leave/The standard story is compensation. The real story is identity. And no salary survey will surface it.Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-70-20-10-rule-of-procurement-ai/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-70-20-10-rule-of-procurement-ai/Where should AI create value in procurement? The answer is a ratio, not a list.Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-ems-consolidation-decision/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-ems-consolidation-decision/Should you consolidate your electronics manufacturing services suppliers in a tariff war? A decision memo with three options, honest trade-offs, and a recommendation.Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/savings-is-a-vanity-metric/https://drgroh.com/blog/savings-is-a-vanity-metric/Procurement has spent decades optimizing for the wrong scoreboard. It's time to measure what actually matters.Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/supplier-portfolio-a-framework-for-supply-base-strategy/https://drgroh.com/blog/supplier-portfolio-a-framework-for-supply-base-strategy/Diversification. Hedging. Rebalancing. The concepts that transformed investing can transform how you manage suppliers.Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/from-expert-to-executive/https://drgroh.com/blog/from-expert-to-executive/The hardest career transition isn't changing roles — it's changing identity. This guide maps the full journey from individual contributor to executive leader, with practical frameworks for each stage.Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/modern-procurement-leadership/https://drgroh.com/blog/modern-procurement-leadership/Procurement isn't judged by savings alone anymore. This comprehensive guide covers what modern procurement leadership requires: strategic risk management, cross-functional influence, AI adoption, and building value that the C-suite actually recognises.Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/ai-leadership-guide/https://drgroh.com/blog/ai-leadership-guide/AI transformation isn't a technology challenge — it's a leadership one. This guide covers everything leaders need to navigate AI adoption: the decisions, the people challenges, the burnout risk, and how to build teams where humans and AI work together effectively.Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/what-does-a-procurement-project-manager-actually-do/https://drgroh.com/blog/what-does-a-procurement-project-manager-actually-do/The job posting says one thing. The actual work looks completely different. Here's the real role after a decade of doing it.Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/managing-human-ai-teams-a-leadership-playbook/https://drgroh.com/blog/managing-human-ai-teams-a-leadership-playbook/AI is no longer just a tool — it’s a coworker. This piece reflects on what leaders must rethink when humans and AI share responsibility, and why managing the interface between them has become the real leadership challenge.Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/emotional-intelligence-as-ais-counterweight/https://drgroh.com/blog/emotional-intelligence-as-ais-counterweight/As AI takes over analysis, leadership becomes less about data and more about people. This article explores why emotional intelligence isn’t a soft skill in the AI era — it’s the counterweight that makes judgment, trust, and leadership possible.Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/leadership-burnout-in-the-ai-era/https://drgroh.com/blog/leadership-burnout-in-the-ai-era/71% of leaders report heightened stress from AI transformation. Here's what's really happening—and what to do about it.Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/rethinking-procurement-leadership/https://drgroh.com/blog/rethinking-procurement-leadership/Procurement isn't judged by savings alone anymore — but most organisations still measure it that way. This article explores how procurement leaders create real business value through risk management, speed, innovation, and cross-functional influence, and how to make that shift visible at the executive level.Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/seeing-risk-before-it-breaks-you/https://drgroh.com/blog/seeing-risk-before-it-breaks-you/Most supplier risk systems don't fail because they're wrong — they fail because they measure the past. This article explores how to spot the signals that predict supplier failure, why lagging indicators dominate procurement risk, and what I learned from one missed shutdown that changed my approach to risk forever.Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/leading-legacy-what-youll-be-remembered-for/https://drgroh.com/blog/leading-legacy-what-youll-be-remembered-for/Legacy isn't what you build — it's what you change in other people. This article explores how leadership legacy forms through everyday decisions, developed people, and systems that outlast you — and how to shape it deliberately without turning it into a performance.Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/leading-through-chaos/https://drgroh.com/blog/leading-through-chaos/Crisis doesn't test how much you know — it tests how well you decide without knowing everything. This article presents a practical framework for leaders operating at 70% certainty, covering how to communicate decisively and turn uncertainty into momentum rather than paralysis.Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-mid-career-pivot-from-expert-to-leader-without-losing-yourself/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-mid-career-pivot-from-expert-to-leader-without-losing-yourself/The hardest career transition isn't changing roles — it's changing identity. This piece reflects on the shift from technical expert to people leader: what it costs, what it creates, and how to grow into responsibility without abandoning what made you effective in the first place.Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/building-leaders-not-just-managing-tasks/https://drgroh.com/blog/building-leaders-not-just-managing-tasks/Great managers don't just get work done — they develop people who can lead without them. This article lays out a practical framework for turning daily responsibilities into leadership capability, and how to know when your team is ready for more.Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/influence-without-authority-a-leadership-playbook/https://drgroh.com/blog/influence-without-authority-a-leadership-playbook/Modern leadership rarely comes with formal authority — especially in procurement. This article lays out a practical playbook for influencing decisions, aligning stakeholders, and driving outcomes when your responsibility far exceeds your direct control.Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/ai-and-human-negotiation-a-hybrid-strategy-that-wins-deals/https://drgroh.com/blog/ai-and-human-negotiation-a-hybrid-strategy-that-wins-deals/AI won't negotiate supplier contracts for you. But it fundamentally changes what's possible before, during, and after the negotiation. This article explores how procurement teams combine AI-driven analysis with human judgment to consistently win better outcomes.Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/seven-ai-decisions-every-leader-must-make-in-2026/https://drgroh.com/blog/seven-ai-decisions-every-leader-must-make-in-2026/AI won't replace your team — but it will change how work is done, how value is measured, and what leadership requires. These are the seven decisions managers must make to lead people honestly through AI-driven transformation in 2026.Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-procurement-skills-roadmap-for-the-ai-era-2026-2030/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-procurement-skills-roadmap-for-the-ai-era-2026-2030/AI won't replace procurement professionals. But procurement professionals who use AI will replace those who don't.Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/a-practical-framework-for-evaluating-ai-procurement-tools/https://drgroh.com/blog/a-practical-framework-for-evaluating-ai-procurement-tools/It’s easy to overspend on AI procurement software that looks impressive but delivers little. This piece lays out a six-step evaluation framework, shaped by real experience reviewing dozens of toolsWed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-ai-procurement-toolkit-20-prompts-that-save-time/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-ai-procurement-toolkit-20-prompts-that-save-time/90% of Fortune 500s use ChatGPT in procurement. Get 20 copy-paste AI prompts for spend analysis, supplier management, contracts, and reporting—from a practitioner.Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/agentic-ai-in-procurement-what-it-really-means/https://drgroh.com/blog/agentic-ai-in-procurement-what-it-really-means/Agentic AI is coming to procurement in 2026. Here's what autonomous procurement agents actually do, which jobs are at risk, and the skills AI can't replace — from a practitioner's view, not an analyst's.Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-hidden-path-from-procurement-to-product-leadership/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-hidden-path-from-procurement-to-product-leadership/The move from procurement to product management looks unconventional — but it makes sense. This article explores why procurement builds the judgment, trade-off thinking, and credibility that many product leaders spend years trying to learn.Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/product-managers-procurement-blind-spot/https://drgroh.com/blog/product-managers-procurement-blind-spot/Product managers often treat procurement as a final checkpoint. In reality, it's where many launches slow down or fail. Here are five mistakes PMs make — and what changes when procurement is involved early.Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/framework-agreements-shape-product-freedom/https://drgroh.com/blog/framework-agreements-shape-product-freedom/Most innovation dies in agreements nobody remembers negotiating.Sun, 11 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-performance-trap/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-performance-trap/Two functions, both optimizing. Neither willing to admit what they're really protecting.Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/why-product-teams-fear-procurement-reviews/https://drgroh.com/blog/why-product-teams-fear-procurement-reviews/Not because they expose mistakes—because they expose choices no one wants to defend.Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/most-products-die-in-variant-complexity-not-competition/https://drgroh.com/blog/most-products-die-in-variant-complexity-not-competition/Internal proliferation kills faster than the market—but we keep blaming competitors.Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-best-product-managers-i-know-think-like-buyers/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-best-product-managers-i-know-think-like-buyers/They understand leverage, not just users—and it changes everything they build.Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/design-to-cost-is-a-leadership-test-not-a-tool/https://drgroh.com/blog/design-to-cost-is-a-leadership-test-not-a-tool/It reveals who is willing to disappoint whom—and when.Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/what-2025-taught-me-about-how-work-actually-moves/https://drgroh.com/blog/what-2025-taught-me-about-how-work-actually-moves/A year of achievement revealed something unexpected: the best work doesn't always look like work at all.Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-year-i-stopped-chasing-titles/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-year-i-stopped-chasing-titles/What happened when I chose teaching and technical depth over corporate advancement—and why it paradoxically moved everything forward.Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-questions-my-students-asked-that-id-stopped-asking/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-questions-my-students-asked-that-id-stopped-asking/Teaching marketing strategy after twenty years in business revealed something unexpected: not how much I'd learned, but what I'd stopped noticing.Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/the-economics-of-being-almost-promoted/https://drgroh.com/blog/the-economics-of-being-almost-promoted/What happens when development becomes a substitute for recognition—and why good companies let it continue.Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/what-leaders-must-rethink-today/https://drgroh.com/blog/what-leaders-must-rethink-today/Why traditional strategic thinking increasingly fails to explain outcomes — and what this means for how we think, decide, and act under conditions of uncertainty.Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/why-coaching-tools-rarely-change-leaders/https://drgroh.com/blog/why-coaching-tools-rarely-change-leaders/Coaching tools promise insight, clarity, and progress. Most of the time, they deliver structure — but little change. This post explores why tools so often fail, and what actually makes them matter.Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/brand-protection-is-not-about-control/https://drgroh.com/blog/brand-protection-is-not-about-control/Brand protection is often treated as a legal or marketing exercise. In reality, it is about understanding where trust is fragile — and where organisations quietly undermine themselves.Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/part-of-leadership-no-one-wants-to-practice/https://drgroh.com/blog/part-of-leadership-no-one-wants-to-practice/Emotional intelligence is widely praised and rarely lived. This post is about what emotional intelligence actually demands from leaders — and why it is much harder than it sounds.Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/what-actually-changes-leaders/https://drgroh.com/blog/what-actually-changes-leaders/Leadership coaching is often treated as a set of tools or conversations. This post explores what coaching actually changes — and why its impact depends less on technique than on how leaders relate to themselves and their role.Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/people-structure-self/https://drgroh.com/blog/people-structure-self/Leadership is often treated as a personal trait. This blog post argues that leadership is better understood as a system — and explores what changes when leaders begin to see it that way.Sun, 07 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://drgroh.com/blog/why-comparison-often-misleads-leaders/https://drgroh.com/blog/why-comparison-often-misleads-leaders/Benchmarking is widely used in strategy — yet often applied in ways that obscure judgment rather than improve it. This post explains what benchmarking is actually for, and how to use it intelligently.Sat, 05 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT