The Grossman Group

09/01/2026

Today’s CCOs are being asked to evolve the function while simultaneously keeping pace with a business that keeps moving faster.

The harder question is where to begin, and how to modernize the function without losing momentum on business priorities.

Our new eBook, 11 Mistakes CCOs Make Modernizing the Communications Function, draws from our work with CCOs and communications leadership teams across industries to explore common traps, and what to do differently.

From measuring communications activity instead of business impact to trying to tackle every priority at once, these are mistakes that can slow progress before it starts.

Download the free eBook: https://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/11-mistakes-ccos-make-ebook

08/06/2026

Today, we're proud to launch our The CCO Advisory practice within The Grossman Group.

The Chief Communications Officer role has changed dramatically. Today's CCOs are expected to advise leadership, help navigate AI adoption, strengthen culture, build trust and reputation across multiple stakeholders, and so much more.

While expectations have grown, the communications function hasn't always evolved at the same pace.

That's where The CCO Advisory comes in.

Built on more than 26 years of helping organizations communicate through change as a firm, The CCO Advisory helps communications leaders modernize the function - from structure and governance to measurement, operating models, and strategic counsel - so it can deliver the impact today's business environment demands.

This is an exciting next chapter for the communications leaders we serve.

Learn more in today's announcement: https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/grossman-group-launches-cco-advisory

07/28/2026

Your first six months as a new CCO can shape far more than your own success.

The decisions made early determine how quickly you build influence, earn the confidence of the C-suite, and position communications as a strategic business function.

That’s a lot to navigate when the scope varies dramatically by organization, expectations are often unspoken, and the pressure to deliver begins on day one.

So, I personally asked current and former CCOs from Experian, General Mills, Southwest Airlines, Honeywell, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and others what they wish they had known, what they’d do again, do differently, or avoid entirely.

Their candid advice shaped our new free eBook, The First 6 Months: Wisdom for the New CCO.

It includes six lessons that emerged from the CCOs that lived it, the moves that paid off, the traps they would avoid, and a practical 30 / 60 / 90 / 180 day checklist.

The most successful CCOs don’t confuse speed with impact. They make methodical, targeted decisions that build confidence today and momentum for what comes next.

Download the free resource: https://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/wisdom-for-new-chief-communications-officers

06/22/2026

There is no private layoff anymore.

That’s one of the clearest lessons from recent restructurings we’ve seen at companies like Meta, Standard Chartered, Cloudflare, and others.

An announcement meant for the board, investors, analysts, the media, and the employees who are leaving can land very differently with employees who are staying.

And every word a leader uses during a restructuring can become public, shared, and judged far beyond the room it was meant for.
But the bigger issue is what happens inside the organization after the announcement.

The people who stay are listening closely and deciding whether they still trust leadership, see a future for themselves, and want to keep investing their energy in what comes next.

That’s why I wrote, “What Employees Actually Need from Leaders During Restructuring.”

It’s a practical guide to help leaders communicate with:

- Greater credibility
- Build trust during uncertainty, and
- Retain their most important audience: the employees who stay.

Grab the guide in the comments.

06/10/2026

In a new MIT Sloan Management Review article, our founder and CEO David Grossman, Founder & CEO, The Grossman Group draws on research and real-world lessons from leaders navigating rapid growth and transformation – including CareRx Corporation's experience after tripling in size in just 20 months – and shares 3 disciplines that help leaders avoid change fatigue and turn change into a competitive advantage.

If transformation success is a priority for your organization, this is a timely read.

Full article in the comments.

I wrote about why most transformations quietly break down – and it's rarely the strategy – for MIT Sloan Management Review.

And why the gap between how leaders experience change and how their people experience it is one of the most underestimated risks in business today.

Then, I wrote about what the leaders who navigate this well actually do differently.

"Leave us alone. We're done."

That's what employees at CareRx Corporation told a leader who arrived to roll out the next initiative – at a company that had tripled in size in 20 months. Their Chief Employee and Customer Experience Officer, Adrianne Sullivan-Campeau, still talks about that moment.

The turnaround CareRx President & CEO, Puneet Khanna, led from there, and what Samantha Stark, Aaron Radelet, and Gail Golden, MBA, Ph.D. each discovered navigating the same challenge, is at the heart of the piece.

83% of business leaders report experiencing more major change than ever. Employees can realistically absorb 1-2 significant changes a year. Most leadership teams are planning 3-4 by 2027. That gap is where transformations break down – and most organizations don't see it until the damage is done.

Three disciplines separate the leaders who get this right from those who watch their people quietly check out.

Read the full article in the comments.

03/24/2026

A full-circle moment and a powerful reminder that the most meaningful leadership journeys rarely follow the “supposed to” path.

Proud to see our founder and CEO, David Grossman’s new book on display at Barnes & Noble on 5th Avenue in NYC, and even prouder of the message behind it: modern exceptional leaders lead with heart, not just strategy.

I’m standing on 5th Avenue in New York City, staring at a Barnes & Noble window.

My books are in it.

I kept looking around to see if anyone else is seeing what I’m seeing.

Growing up, I followed what I call the “Supposed To Track.” Get good grades. Find the right job. Live the life everyone expected.

At 33, I had achieved all of it. The career. The house with the white picket fence. Everything I was “supposed to.” And yet I found myself in a therapist’s office, clutching a pillow to my chest, wondering why none of it felt like enough.

There was no version of the “Supposed To Track” that included my name on books in a window on 5th Avenue. Because there was no version of that track where I had the courage to be myself. To write what I actually believe. To say out loud that leadership is about heart, not just strategy.

That took a different road. A difficult one.

And that road brought me here.

The most powerful stories we tell are the ones we first have to live.

To Steve, Avi, and Noa. To my team at The Grossman Group. To this community, who kept saying “write the real book, not the safe one.”

Thank you for believing that heart and leadership belong in the same sentence.

If you’re in NYC over the next two weeks, you can pick up copies at Barnes & Noble. If you do, send me a pic.

Available online everyday: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-heart-work-of-modern-leadership-david-grossman/1148813797?ean=9798900260860

What’s a moment where the difficult road led you exactly where you needed to be?

01/07/2026

[Available for Pre-Order Now!] The Heart Work of Modern Leadership | David Grossman, Founder & CEO, The Grossman Group

The groundbreaking roadmap for leaders navigating today’s high-stakes complexity. Based on new research with The Harris Poll, David Grossman reveals what few leaders do well – and how you can join them.

Pre-order from your preferred retailer here: https://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/heart-work-modern-leadership

12/10/2025

09/26/2025

Organizations (and employees) have undergone one massive change after another recently. And the pressure on leaders to get it right is only increasing.

That’s why we partnered with The Harris Poll on a new enterprise change study: The Change Tipping Point, which provides the most comprehensive look at how organizations are navigating transformation and communications today.

📊 Inside:
- The tipping point where change risks overwhelming employees
- Why AI is the #1 most frequent and most difficult change to implement
- How effective communication triples the likelihood of success
- The leadership visibility gap you can’t afford to ignore

This is the must-read research for leaders and communicators guiding transformation.

👉 Download the Research Report: https://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/2025-enterprise-change-study?utm_campaign=21826639-Enterprise%20Change%20Study&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=Change_Research_Report