“I’m hitting refresh on my email, waiting for several executives to get back to me about new projects. One has to rethink its global rollout due to budget cuts. Another has the budget authorized but needs commitment from the CFO before they can proceed. A third is weighing the pros and cons of tackling many issues simultaneously or focusing on one problem to save time and money.

While there’s always a race to ink a few more deals, 2023 feels a bit different so far. Faced with declining revenues, a looming recession, higher costs, and subsequent cost cutting, executives are asking how they can get by with less—less investment in their current and new talent, less investment in tools, and less investment in leaders.”