Paper Napkin Wisdom - Podcast And Blog For Entrepreneurs, Leaders And Difference-makers

In the final installment of the Freedom by Design series, Michael Walsh brings us back to the heart of sustainable business growth: the core of your organization. His napkin, boldly titled “Rethink the Core,” offers a deceptively simple yet profoundly important shift in how entrepreneurs and leaders define what really drives performance.  On one side of the napkin: a traditional model where teams create results, leading to customer value and company profit. It's efficient. It's direct. But it's incomplete.  On the other side: a redesigned model. Teams don’t just deliver results—they grow. This growth is both the mechanism and measure of lasting success. Professional development is woven into the business engine, not treated as an afterthought. The result? Better outcomes, more resilient teams, and long-term value creation for both customers and the company.  “If your people are only delivering results but not growing, you’re creating fragility. But if they’re growing, you’re building the core strength of you