I used to have Air Canada's highest status. Now I fly once a year, and I feel every inch of the downgrade.

Here's the thing though, I know exactly why it happened. And that's the part most businesses get wrong when they finally get serious about treating customers differently.

Segmentation isn't about who you shut out. It's about being honest about where your value actually sits, and consistent about what each level of relationship gets.

A simple 5-step process to start segmenting your customers, and why the airline industry has understood this longer than almost anyone.

Most businesses don’t realize how fragile they are.

Not because of market conditions.
Not because of competition.

But because too much of what makes them work lives in one person’s head.

This week’s Leadership In Focus newsletter is about the hidden risk leaders don’t see until it’s too late, and how to start fixing it without over-engineering everything.

If you’ve ever thought:
“If they left, we’d be in trouble…”

This one’s for you.