Greg Novak is CEO of Claritas Consulting and a seasoned business leader with decades of experience helping organizations accelerate growth, improve performance, and navigate change. His career spans executive leadership, consulting, startups, high-growth companies, and publicly traded organizations. Drawing on experience gained at General Electric and beyond, Greg advises leaders on strategy execution, organizational transformation, customer focus, and building high-performing teams that drive long-term business success.
Passionate about developing leaders and creating lasting organizational impact, Greg brings a practical, experience-driven approach to solving complex business challenges. He is also the author of an upcoming leadership book, where he shares actionable lessons to help executives think strategically, lead with integrity, and build organizations that thrive in a changing marketplace.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- 00:02–04:18 – Greg Novak shares how his early career at General Electric shaped his leadership philosophy through integrity, accountability, and continuous development.
- 07:40–11:33 – Discover why execution—not strategy—is the biggest reason organizations fail to reach their potential and how culture determines long-term success.
- 12:49–17:23 – Learn why the world’s strongest companies continually reinvent themselves and what leaders can learn from Apple, Amazon, and Kodak.
- 19:17–28:28 – Explore how AI, changing buyer behavior, and digital research are transforming customer expectations and forcing companies to rethink growth.
- 26:41–29:07 – Greg explains why CEOs must intentionally step away from daily operations to focus on strategy—and why no one else will do it for them.
- 31:33–38:59 – Hear why manufacturing companies must invest in marketing, sales, and customer education just as seriously as they invest in operations.
In this episode…
Leadership excellence isn’t built on complicated management theories—it comes from consistently doing the fundamentals well. Greg Novak explains that the organizations that outperform year after year are the ones that hire exceptional people, operate with integrity, execute relentlessly, and continually adapt as markets evolve. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes that growth is rarely limited by strategy itself; instead, companies struggle because they fail to execute consistently or resist the cultural changes required to sustain success.
Drawing from leadership roles spanning startups, Fortune 500 companies, consulting engagements, and rapid-growth organizations, Greg shares practical lessons about building high-performing teams, leading organizational change, and developing leaders at every level. He discusses the importance of aligning people around a shared vision, recognizing when organizations have outgrown existing talent, and balancing operational excellence with long-term strategic thinking. He also highlights how today’s AI-driven buying environment has fundamentally changed how customers evaluate suppliers and why businesses must strengthen both their marketing and customer experience.
In this episode of In Good Company, host Lisa Kilrea sits down with Greg Novak, CEO of Claritas Consulting, to discuss leadership, business growth, organizational culture, customer relationships, strategic execution, digital transformation, and the evolving role of sales and marketing in building sustainable competitive advantage. Their conversation offers practical leadership lessons for executives, business owners, and manufacturing leaders navigating today’s rapidly changing marketplace.
Resources mentioned in this episode
Quotable Moments
- “A’s hire A’s, and B’s hire C’s. The best companies only hire A’s.” (07:40–08:40)
- “We will change, or we will change.” (10:09–11:16)
- “If you don’t work on where the business is going next year, three years, and five years from now, nobody else is going to.” (26:41–28:21)
- “It’s just not that hard if you think clearly.” (38:26–38:59)
Action Steps
- Evaluate your execution, not just your strategy. Identify where initiatives are breaking down and establish stronger accountability for follow-through.
- Invest intentionally in leadership and culture. Build teams around integrity, consistency, and shared values while addressing behaviors that prevent organizational growth.
- Schedule dedicated strategic thinking time. Block recurring time away from day-to-day operations to focus on long-term direction, emerging opportunities, and competitive threats.
- Strengthen the top of your sales funnel. Ensure your marketing, website, content, search visibility, and customer education support buyers long before they speak with sales.
- Continuously reinvent your business. Regularly challenge existing assumptions, explore new markets and offerings, and stay ahead of changing customer expectations instead of protecting yesterday’s success.
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is sponsored by WSI EResults Manufacturing Marketing — revolutionizing digital marketing for the manufacturing industry.
At WSI EResults, we help B2B manufacturers, OEMs, and industrial distributors elevate their digital presence through AI-powered, data-driven strategies designed to generate targeted, impactful leads.
From AI-powered SEO and content marketing to tailored campaigns built for the unique challenges of the manufacturing sector, WSI EResults delivers the tools and expertise to help your business stand out, grow, and thrive.
Learn more at wsi-manufacturing-marketing.com. Your blueprint for smarter, more effective manufacturing marketing.
