The turn of a fiscal year often comes with organizational, talent, and performance reviews. Leadership teams revisit strategy, assess whether they have the capabilities to execute it, identify high‑potential leaders for succession plans, and promote high‑performing employees. In the middle of these conversations, it’s easy to become overly focused on individuals and overlook whether the underlying structure is actually fit for purpose.

The best strategies aren’t perfect. The best leaders don’t ask for perfection—they design for experimentation. The first time I met William E. Bagley, I was working in corporate, partnering with him to strengthen our supply chain function and outsource non-core work. At an offsite, I decided to try something new—a different way to align our supply chain leadership team—and I felt vulnerable and uncertain as I walked into the room.

Early in my career, I found myself in a defining moment I hadn’t planned for. I had just stepped into my first HR leadership role—tasked with designing and implementing an entirely new HR infrastructure after the merger of three companies that had tripled the size of our organization. Giving me this responsibility didn’t look obvious or safe. But one person—our head of HR, Jenny Creamer—chose to look beyond my résumé, see my potential, and bet on it.