The Madison Ethic: A Playbook

By MARSHA LINDSAY

CEO & Chief Analyst Lindsay Foresight & Stratagem

It was a thrill: 200 business leaders gave me a standing ovation for a presentation made at Madison Magazine’s Best of Madison Business event on Feb. 22, 2024. A standing ovation is the ultimate compliment a keynoter can receive. Yet it was one of two “ultimates” related to the event. The other? Being named one of Madison’s “visionary leaders.”

Wanting to live up to the honor, I decided that the topic of my presentation should be a gift to Greater Madison that I was well-suited to make: a strategic playbook to create competitive advantage for the area long into the future. Obviously, it was a big hit.

Below is a pdf of the annotated transcript of my presentation as it was recorded. Editing has been done to aid in brevity, readability; presentation visuals added to aid understanding.

To create the strategic playbook, I used the same process I do for my firm’s clients: I researched emerging marketplace dynamics, emerging marketing dynamics; analyzed them in light of Madison’s future strengths and weaknesses; identified the essential challenge to be overcome to keep the community viable – able to retain and attract employers, talent, capital and opportunity. Finally, I cast strategies which, over the next 5-10 years, would resolve the challenge, keep Madison growing; give the community’s economy and quality of life competitive advantage on the world stage.

The master strategy? I branded it “The Madison Ethic.” Its value proposition is only possible because of Madison’s unrivaled network of smart, industrious and innovative businesspeople, researchers and scientists. (They have a track record of coming up with solutions to global problems, then exporting them to the world.) In the playbook, I allude to what we would need to invest in to deploy the strategy; how we would market it.

The prep of this strategic plan was a professional pleasure. But the standing ovation was especially rewarding because I so wanted to do right by the community that has given me so much, that brought out the best in me; that helped me achieve what some might call the American Dream.

So, while Greater Madison is saluting me, with this strategic playbook for its future, I’m saluting the community right back.

Can you see me, Madison? I’m standing, applauding, whistling! It’s an ovation for you.

Please read my Keynote Speech and accompanying slideshow by clicking here. It is a strategic playbook that can keep Madison viable, competitive, and growing “profitably” for years to come