First-principles analysis of consequential issues
The most consequential decisions, examined with the numbers behind them.
I’ve spent four decades on strategy and transformation. I bring that same first-principles rigor to today’s high-stakes decisions, from higher education to capital to talent, then show what the data actually shows. No ideology. No worship of credentials. Just root causes.
McKinsey-trained. Four decades across five continents. Board director. Now writing it all down, for free.
New book, July 8, 2026
We Need To Talk About Higher Education
Leon Shivamber
Transformation advocate and board director
For four decades I’ve led organizations across five continents as an advisor, operator, and CEO, partnering with Fortune 500 companies and advising boards on the hard decisions. I write here to share what I’ve learned, from first principles.
Featured essays
The higher-education series, leading into launch.
Explore the analysis
Strategy and transformation
Four decades of turnarounds and transformations, distilled to what actually drives change.
Higher education
Is a degree worth it? The essays behind the $82,371 question.
Talent and leadership
Why credentials are the wrong filter, and what actually predicts performance.
Capital and policy
Debt, subsidies, and taxes, traced to root causes instead of slogans.
Run the numbers yourself.
Free College ROI calculator, about 6,000 institutions.