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In high-growth organizations, strategy, sales execution, and internal structure are not separate functions. They are deeply connected systems that determine whether a business stalls or scales. Leaders often talk about growth but struggle to understand the internal mechanics that make consistent scaling possible. In today’s complex global landscape, clarity of systems and structure matters more than ever.
On this episode of the Strategy and Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor sits down with Pete Harris, President of Pipedrive. Pete previously led global business development and global partnerships at Intuit and spent over a decade at Deloitte working with organizations across industries. Today, he oversees value creation strategy at Pipedrive, supporting more than 100,000 customers in over 180 countries. Together, Anthony and Pete unpack why systems and structure are not just operational concerns but strategic imperatives for sustained growth.
Pete begins by reframing how leaders should think about understanding their business. A recurring theme throughout the conversation is the idea that meaningful strategic insight requires a willingness to look under the hood.
As Pete explains early in the episode, “When you audit you rip a business apart. You look at its guts. You look at everything.” This auditor’s mindset forces leaders to confront assumptions and reveal the structural foundations that stand between where the organization is and where it needs to go.
Rather than glossing over problems or sticking to high-level dashboards, Pete argues that leaders must engage with the details of how work actually gets done. That deep understanding becomes the basis for designing systems that create predictability rather than constant firefighting.
Sales and strategy are often discussed separately, but Pete bridges the two with clarity: “The key to sales is having a structured process in the background.” This is not about rigidity on the front lines, but about designing repeatable processes that enable teams to sell effectively at scale.
During his time leading partnerships and sales functions, Pete observed that high-performing sales teams did not rely on individual heroics. They relied on frameworks and predictable pipelines that guided activity and decision-making. For founders and growth leaders, this distinction is critical: structure is not the enemy of creativity—structure amplifies what works.
Pete also draws from his experience across different sales environments, including traditional enterprise selling and modern platform partnerships. He shares that some of the best sellers he’s seen started in the toughest environments, like door-to-door sales, where resilience and process were survival skills, not buzzwords.
A recurring thread is Pete’s belief that strategy is not a fixed plan but a learning engine. He challenges the notion of strategy as something carved in stone. Instead, “A strategy is not something that’s set in stone,” he says, underscoring the importance of adaptability.
Throughout the episode, Pete highlights how experimentation, curiosity, and structured feedback loops allow organizations to test assumptions, learn quickly, and adjust course without losing momentum. From multi-variant experiments in marketing to iterating on product features, strategic execution is tied to a culture of disciplined exploration.
Leaders often face pressure to demonstrate short-term outcomes. Pete acknowledges this tension but stresses that sustainable growth demands both discipline today and investment in tomorrow. Part of that balancing act involves setting clear expectations: “It’s super important to set the right expectations up front,” he notes, pointing to alignment as a leadership imperative.
Pete’s experience in scaling Pipedrive underscores how prioritization, transparent communication, and strategic patience are necessary components of long-term growth. When organizations rush execution without aligning expectations and structure, they risk inefficiencies and lost confidence across teams and customers.
Toward the close of the conversation, Pete brings the discussion back to people—specifically how leaders communicate strategy to their teams. Without shared understanding and a common language for execution, even the best strategies fail to translate into results. Pete’s leadership philosophy emphasizes clarity, consistency, and collective learning as core to strategy execution.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why deep structural understanding is essential before scaling
How sales systems and processes shape predictable execution
Why modern strategy should be designed as a learning system
How to balance short-term performance with long-term strategic investment
What strong leaders focus on when operationalizing vision
Connect with Pete Harris
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-harris-a166665/
Pipedrive: https://www.pipedrive.com/
About the Host
Anthony Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SME Strategy and a trusted expert in organizational alignment and strategy execution. With 15+ years of experience facilitating strategic planning and leadership development, he helps organizations align their people, accelerate execution, and achieve their biggest goals.
Connect with Anthony: linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604
About SME Strategy
SME Strategy is a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and implementation. We help organizations align their teams around a shared vision so they can focus on what truly drives results.
Learn more: smestrategy.net
Podcast produced by: www.rednyne.com