In this solo episode, Hilary Corna shares reflections after speaking at EMP (a highly competitive, MIT-based program connected to the origins of EO). After dozens of conversations with founders and leadership teams, one theme kept coming up: most companies aren’t struggling because growth stopped—they’re struggling because growth started to feel heavier than it should. Hilary explains the concept of “invisible drag,”why revenue growth can mask operational problems for a long time, and how complexity creates variability → friction → leadership dependency. 

To join The Ops Edge Academy waitlist, visit www.HilaryCorna.com or email [email protected]

TIMESTAMPS
[00:50] Back from speaking at EMP (what it is + why it matters)
[01:20] Why growth starts feeling heavier than it should
[02:25] “Invisible drag” explained (the hidden accumulation)
[03:35] Misdiagnosis: “people problem” vs operational maturity gap
[04:35] The loop: complexity → variability → friction → dependency
[05:05] Why real improvement is lots of small fixes (not one big leap)
[07:00] What CEOs really want: leverage + less rescuing
[07:30] Operational maturity isn’t control—it’s leadership freedom
[08:05] If it feels heavy, you may have outgrown your old way of operating
[10:00] A key check: are your processes evolving as fast as complexity/revenue?
[11:00] 3 takeaways + questions to reflect on