Publications
CRAFT thinking, published beyond this site
Selected articles and case studies published with professional institutes and leadership communities. Each link opens the original publication on the publisher’s website.
Institute for Project Management
When Culture Clash Kills Projects
Darrel Popowich · January 21, 2026
Transformation efforts can appear well planned and still stall when leaders and teams operate from different cultural rules. This article examines how competing assumptions about decisions, risk, speed and collaboration undermine execution—and how leaders can make those forces visible before they derail the work.
Read on the Institute for Project Management(opens the publisher’s website in a new tab)International Institute for Learning
Case Study: Apple Inc. | TRC²: Cultivating Relational Strength to Power Relentless Innovation
Darrel Popowich and Rick Unruh · August 7, 2025
A case study of Apple’s post-1997 transformation through Trust, Respect, Commitment and Communication. It explores how relational strength, strategic focus and structured autonomy helped make sustained innovation possible.
Read on the IIL Blog(opens the publisher’s website in a new tab)International Institute for Learning
The Hidden Forces That Derail Projects—and How to See Them Before They Strike
Darrel Popowich · Originally published October 30, 2025 · Republished April 1, 2026
Projects often lose momentum because cultural tension and incomplete acceptance remain invisible beneath apparently sound plans. This article reframes resistance as information and introduces the Ladder of Acceptance as a human-centred way to restore movement.
Read on the IIL Blog(opens the publisher’s website in a new tab)