An Agile Leadership Lesson In Letting Go

Forbes

7 days ago

Albert Golukhov is the CEO of ExcessLogic, a company specializing in helping businesses optimize their inventory/asset management.
Technological advancement is driving change at an exponential rate. Product cycles are shorter, competitors are more aggressive and market expectations seem to evolve overnight.
For executives, keeping pace is no longer enough. I find that sustained success now demands a new kind of leadership—one grounded in agility, strategic foresight and the courage to make bold decisions under pressure. Sometimes, this even means strategic asset liquidation.
Embracing Agile Leadership
Gone are the days when five-year strategic plans could reliably guide a company's direction. In the current climate, long-term road maps often expire before they're executed. Leaders must embrace agility across all functions. That means shorter planning cycles, fast iteration and real-time responsiveness based on emerging market signals.
Agility, however, starts with people. Building a culture of continuous learning is essential. Teams should be encouraged to experiment, challenge assumptions and adapt to new technologies without fear of failure. The companies that invest in their employees' curiosity and growth—through things like ongoing training, skill development and cross-functional collaboration—can reap the benefits of a workforce that evolves with the business, not behind it.
Equally important is reaching beyond the company's own walls. In high tech, no single organization can master every domain. Forming strategic partnerships with startups, research institutions or even competitors can allow you to accelerate development cycles, share risk and expand capabilities. I encourage you to shift your thinking to ecosystems, not silos, in order to find opportunities where others see threats.
To guide these decisions, data must be at the center. While experience and instinct remain valuable, intuition alone won't cut it in a volatile market. Real-time data analytics—applied across customer insights, operational performance and competitive intelligence—can sharpen strategic direction and reduce costly missteps. The faster you can interpret and act on data, the more resilient your strategy becomes.
Behind all of this must lie a strong financial foundation. High growth gets the headlines, but liquidity is what gets companies through market turbulence. Therefore, you should be a vigilant steward of cash flow, burn rate and cost structures. In periods of volatility or declining revenue, it may be necessary to make tough calls that protect the company's ability to operate and invest in its future.
Strategic Asset Liquidation
One highly effective, yet often underutilized, strategy is the liquidation of noncore or underutilized assets. As the CEO of a company specializing in helping businesses optimize asset management, I've seen how this approach can serve as a powerful lever to support ongoing operations, preserve cash and stabilize the business during times of uncertainty.
Strategic asset liquidation is not about desperation; it's about discipline. It begins with a clear-eyed audit of everything a company owns. This includes physical assets like IT hardware, networking equipment and office infrastructure, but also intangible assets like intellectual property, unused software licenses, real estate and even entire business units that no longer align with the company's strategic goals.
After identifying these assets, the next move is to determine their true market worth and the level of buyer interest. For physical and IT-related equipment, third-party remarketing specialists can help. These firms not only have established networks of buyers but also can handle data security, logistics, compliance and value maximization—greatly reducing legal and operational risks for the seller. Selling assets internally or ad hoc can open a company to unforeseen liability, especially if data isn't properly wiped or environmental disposal isn't compliant with regulatory standards.
For IP or software licenses, expert valuation may also be required. This process may involve consulting legal and industry professionals who can assess current market appetite and guide negotiations with potential buyers or licensees. For larger divestitures—such as an underperforming product line or subsidiary—working with investment bankers or M&A advisors may be the most effective route.
An often-overlooked advantage of asset liquidation is its impact on the company's tax burden. Many jurisdictions assess taxes based on a company's assets. By shedding excess or nonfunctional assets, businesses can reduce their long-term tax liabilities while also improving their balance sheet and operational efficiency.
Crucially, asset liquidation provides immediate capital that can be reinvested with intent. Proceeds should be directed toward high-priority initiatives: critical R&D efforts, essential staffing or near-term growth strategies. This is not just about staying afloat; it's about reallocating trapped resources to areas that drive long-term value creation.
Maintaining Stakeholder Trust
Transparency throughout this process is key. Leadership must clearly communicate to investors, employees and other stakeholders why certain assets are being sold, how the proceeds will be used and what the overall strategy entails. When executed with integrity and foresight, asset liquidation becomes not a sign of weakness but a marker of strategic maturity.
The high-tech sector rewards speed, but it punishes waste. Every piece of unused infrastructure, idle license or outdated subsidiary carries a cost—financially and operationally. Asset liquidation, when approached strategically and executed through the right third-party partners, not only generates immediate capital but also strengthens the company's overall health and readiness for what's next.
Agility In Action
In a world defined by volatility, the companies that thrive will not be those that hold on the tightest—but those that know when to let go and reinvest wisely. I believe this is the essence of agile leadership: adapting boldly, allocating resources intelligently and moving at the speed of change.
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