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In todays corporate landscape, optics often precede outcomes, especially in technology-led transformations. Announcements of new platforms, AI-powered strategies, or digital-first pledges frequently come long before the underlying infrastructure to support them. That was Teds reality as the chief growth officer at a global bank when his CEO unveiled a high-profile AI-Powered Growth Strategy positioned as a bold leap forward. The announcement made headlines and thrilled investors, but behind the scenes, the organization wasnt prepared. Ted was given a skeletal team of two direct reports, a patchwork of third-party tools, and the mandate to partner with five global banking divisions serving more than 500 employees. He was expected to turn the AI vision into reality with little structural support. This tension is commonand survivable. Leaders who maintain credibility dont scrap such pledges or decry them. Instead, they manage the gap between promise and proof. A well-intentioned CEO may launch an initiative to signal innovation, but when systems or skills lag, ambition can outpace execution. WeJenny, as an executive adviser and learning & development expert, and Kathryn, as an executive coach and keynote speakerhave identified five strategies to help executive teams navigate these moments with integrity and strategic foresight, especially when the initiative is more symbolic than substantive in its early stages. 1. Balance bold aspiration with candid honesty In the early stages of transformation, perception often outpaces progress. Stakeholders want visible proof that change is real. McKinsey found that 70% of digital transformations fail to meet their intended outcomes because senior executives either overpromise or disengage when early wins dont materialize. Those charged with execution must balance bold aspiration with candid honesty, communicating both the vision (Heres where were heading) and gap (Heres what it will take to get there) to maintain trust and momentum. Behind the scenes, Ted allocated 20% of the budget to data cleanup and capability-building, unseen but essential work such as strengthening data quality and governance, building the pipelines and quality controls that support mission-critical AI, and elevating the organizations baseline AI literacy. Within a year, three pilots validated the transformation narrative and quieted early skeptics. Edelmans Trust Barometer shows that stakeholders extend grace when leaders communicate with clarity and consistency, not performative certainty. Credibility, not charisma, sustains momentum through uncertainty. Try this: Balance vision with transparency. Use confident yet realistic language, such as Were learning in real time or This is a multi-year capability build. 2. Map Whats Performative vs. Whats Possible Not every element of a high-visibility initiative will yield immediate results. The key is distinguishing symbolic actions that signal intent from those that build lasting capability. Theresa, chief digital officer at a consumer goods firm, launched a public digital transformation week with town halls and press coverage. She brought in her AI agency partners and major retail customers to show alignment and signal momentum, partnership, and focus. The event created attention, but she knew the real work would happen out of sight. She used a short-horizon/long-horizon approach. The short horizon created urgency and rallied stakeholders, while the longer horizon anchored on execution. She reassigned 30% of her team to integrate legacy systems, clean priority datasets, and run joint sprints with her AI partners. That groundwork created a technical foundation strong enough to support advanced modeling. Within nine months, they delivered a demand-forecasting model that reduced inventory outages by 18%, transforming a performative launch into measurable operational value. When mapping an initiative, clarify two horizons: Short horizon (06 months): What signals matter? (e.g., visible executive sponsorship, internal messaging, external storytelling) Mid / long horizon (624+ months): What structural enablers must be built? (e.g., data platforms, technology partnerships, governance, skills) Visibility matters, but only when its paired with substance. Try this: Separate the symbolic from the structural. Create a two-horizon map to test balance: Which actions build momentum? and Which build capability? Then ensure both are visible. 3. Leverage Visibility as Currency When a high-profile initiative captures attention, use that spotlight to build political capital and secure future resources. Leaders who link early symbolic wins to longer-term learning sustain engagement and trust. Julie, a chief marketing officer we advised, leveraged her companys Digital Reinvention campaign to secure additional funding for employee upskilling, positioning it as the bridge between aspiration and execution. Try this: Treat visibility not as validation, but as leverage. Ask, What can this attention buy us: credibility, talent, or momentum? That perspective turns optics from vanity to value. 4. Build Small Wins that Prove Real Value Symbolic gestures lose power without substance. Once the spotlight fades, stakeholders want proof. Anchor your narrative in small, visible wins: projects, pilots, or behaviors that validate early promises. Start with pilots that address real pain points: automate a reporting process, improve data access for a critical team, or integrate AI into a single workflow. For Ted, that meant delivering credible proof pointsan AI-powered lead scoring model that lifted conversion rates by 12%, a unified customer insights dashboard, and a monthly What Were Learning series to build internal momentum. Small, visible progress converts skepticism into trust and gradually shifts perception from Its all optics to Its starting to work. Try this: Start small, but make progress visible. Choose one pilot that solves a visible pain point within 90 days. Publicize lessons learned, not just the result, to show that momentum is real, even if imperfect. 5. Reframe the Narrative: From Optics to Opportunity The best leaders dont deny the optics, they reframe them as stepping stones to a larger transformation. Gary, a nonprofit CEO we coached, introduced his first AI pilot as symbolic but necessary. It wasnt yet transformative, but it sparked a mindset shift: leaders began talking about data ethics, digital fluency, and decision-making transparency. As he put it, The project wasnt about the tool. It was about changing how we think. Reframing is essential. Deloitte and BCG both show that real value emerges when strategy, technology, and human systems align. Symbolic gestures only matter if they lead to lasting capability and behavior change. When leaders treat optics as openings rather than distractions, they turn visibility into belief. Stakeholders who see learning, transparency, and follow-through extend trust, and grant the runway needed for real transformation. Try this: Name the signal and the shift. Say, This initiative signals where were headed. Then ask, What new conversations or capabilities did this open up? In complex transformations, optics are not the enemy. Theyre a catalyst for belief. What matters is how leaders use those moments to align teams, secure investment, and guide the narrative from promise to proof. Integrity isnt about rejecting optics; its about ensuring they serve a larger purpose. The most effective leaders turn visibility into accountability and symbolic beginnings into lasting systems.
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E-Commerce
UnitedHealth Group has laid off dozens of remote employees in healthcare technology and services marketing from its Optum unit, who were given two weeks notice in November, sources told Health Payer Specialist. Fast Company has reached out to UnitedHealth for confirmation. Those employees were based in “multiple states on the East coast and in the Midwest,” according to that report, and are among UnitedHealth’s roughly 400,000 employees across the U.S. (It is the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest healthcare insurer.) The healthcare giant is just the latest company in a string of industries to announce layoffs, which have hit almost every sector of the American economy in 2025. The layoffs come amid fierce criticism of the company’s healthcare and insurance practices. UnitedHealth Group and UnitedHealthcare have received backlash and widespread criticism over consumer allegations of costly insurance, overbilling, denial of necessary care, and patient privacy violations, among other complaints. (UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder in December 2024 was met with little sympathy by some Americans, as Fast Company previously reported.) On Friday, the company released the first round of results of an independent audit of its business, saying it was committed “to setting a new standard of transparency for the health care marketplace,” and vowing to make improvements through “23 action plans”with 65% to be completed by the end of 2025, and all 100% by the end of the first quarter of next year in March 2026. Those include: enhancing policy governance and maintenance, strengthening processes for ongoing monitoring and tracking progress of corrective actions, enhancing risk, and optimizing manufacturer discount processes. “We hope that you see these assessments as a commitment to setting a new standard of transparency for the health care marketplace, as we believe that you and every person who engages with our health system deserves to understand how we go about our work,” CEO Steve Hemsley said in the statement.
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E-Commerce
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for the stock market, which may be headed for a “Santa Claus Rally,” according to analysts, including at Goldman Sachs and Citadel Securities. Barring any major shocks, it will be hard to fight the overwhelmingly positive seasonal period we are entering and the cleaner positioning set-up, Goldman Sachs Group Inc.s trading desk team said in a client note, as reported by Bloomberg. While we dont necessarily see a dramatic rally, we do think there is room to go up from here into year end.” Scott Rubner of Citadel Securities agreed, noting: “Following a year of strong portfolio returns and record household wealth, retail participants enter 2026 with both conviction and balance-sheet capacity to increase market participation.” Markets saw a pickup in volatility between November and mid-December, but that volatility appears to be easing, stock strategist at Zacks Investment Research Ethan Feller told Fast Company. “At the same time, major indexes are consolidating just below record highs. Taken together, those conditions tilt the odds toward a Santa Claus rally this year,” he added. Here’s what to know about the so-called “Santa Claus Rally.” What is a Santa Claus Rally, anyway? A so-called “Santa Claus Rally” refers to a rally in the last five trading days of the year, and the first two of the next year. On those days, the S&P 500 Index has gained an average of 1.3% about 79% of the time since 1950, according to Investopedia. With those odds of nearly 80%, the likelihood is pretty good, but not guaranteed. On Wall Street, the saying goes, “If Santa Claus should fail to call, bears may come to Broad and Wall.” Meaning, if there is no rally, that can be a bad sign for the year ahead. Why does the Santa rally occur? There are a few general theories about why this year-end rally exists, including: holiday spending, year-end bonuses that get recirculated into the market, general holiday optimism, and end-of-tax-year considerations. How is the S&P 500 Index performing now? At the close of afternoon trading on Friday, the S&P 500 Index was up nearly 1% at 6,834.50, well above the 6,000 threshold. It closed up 0.8% on Thursday, after four straight days of losses. What are some risk factors this year? There are some reasons for concern. Some analysts told Barron’s it is too early to tell if there will be a “Santa Claus rally” before those five days start on December 24, as they are still assessing how inflation, the labor market, consumer spending, and future Fed rate cuts could pave the way for Santa’s return.
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E-Commerce
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