People, Process, Progress

Strategic planning doesn’t break down because leaders lack frameworks.

It breaks down because decisions get clouded by optimism, noise, attachment to work already in motion, and the temptation of what looks new or exciting.

As portfolio, program, and project leaders head into 2026, clarity matters more than complexity. Judgment matters more than volume. Discipline matters more than speed.

Recently, Jocko Willink read and reflected on Miyamoto Musashi’s Dokkōdō on his podcast. That episode prompted me to revisit Musashi’s 21 principles, not as philosophy for its own sake, but as a practical decision filter for modern leadership.

That reflection led me to translate the principles through a portfolio, program, and project leadership lens, grounded in strategic planning, governance, and execution in enterprise environments.

How to Use This

I’ve shared a graphic carousel that pairs each of Musashi’s principles with a portfolio, program, or project leadership application.

The graphics are designed to:

• slow down decision making just enough to regain clarity
• challenge attachment to sunk cost and legacy thinking
• reinforce outcomes over methods
• normalize stopping work as leadership
• support disciplined, people first execution

Rather than listing all 21 principles here, I encourage you to walk through the graphics and reflect on where each principle applies in your current portfolio, roadmap, or planning cycle.

This is a tool to return to throughout the year, not a one time read.

Why This Matters for Portfolio, Program, and Project Leaders

Modern portfolios demand leaders who can:

• decide with incomplete information
• resist novelty for novelty’s sake
• balance stakeholder needs with enterprise priorities
• maintain accountability without heroics
• own outcomes when plans change

Those themes run through Musashi’s work, and they show up every day in portfolio governance, strategic planning, and execution.

A Familiar Framework, Applied with Discipline

If these principles resonate, they align closely with the ideas I expand on in The People, Process, and Progress of Project Management.

The book focuses on:

• putting people first without losing accountability
• aligning process to outcomes, not bureaucracy
• measuring progress by value delivered, not activity completed

You can find the book here:
👉 The People, Process, and Progress of Project Management on Amazon
https://a.co/d/5MN3yEm

Closing Thought

Portfolio leadership is not about controlling every variable.

It is about deciding, stopping, and owning outcomes over time.

Use the principles. Use the graphics. Revisit them as conditions change.

That discipline is what keeps strategy grounded and execution strong in 2026.

Godspeed y’all,

Kevin