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Strategy, Governance, Risk & Human Resource

Why Successful Companies Fail (and how to fix them) (Live Webinar)

Former Title: Why Successful Companies Fail: Forewarned is Forearmed

DELIVERY FORMAT
Online Virtual
SEMINAR TYPE
PD Seminar

Overview

The data is clear: businesses are disappearing faster than ever. Do they fail because of stubbornness, incompetence, taking unnecessary risks, increasing complexity or market uncertainty? Some obviously do. But most fail by doubling down on what made them successful. Early wins harden into bad habits. Complacency, intransigence or dogmatic adherence to the formula that brought market dominance in past almost guarantee they’ll perish in an increasingly volatile, paradoxical and technology-driven world. What are the early warning signals that things are going off track? What do you do when your strategy fails? How do you address the inflection points, evade the slippery downward slope, course correct and transition into a new operating model? This course will give you the answers.

 


 

This seminar is eligible towards
The Managing for High Performance Certificate Program

CPABC is pleased to present the Managing for High Performance Certificate Program. This seven-part program is designed primarily for managers ready to lead in the middle and take their game to the next level in today’s volatile. It’s also relevant to business owners or leaders who fully understand that every enterprise lives or dies on the quality of its managers. The seven seminars are:

Each seminar can be taken as a stand-alone course, but in order to qualify for the certificate, participants are required to complete all seven titles. Titles will be offered across our Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter programs.

 

This seminar is eligible towards
The Redefining Leadership Certificate Program

CPABC is pleased to present the Redefining Leadership Certificate Program. This six-part program is designed primarily for middle and senior mangers who are seeking to ascend to a higher level of executive responsibility in today’s transformative, paradoxical, confusing business world. Lessons learned in a less frenetic business environment no longer work in today’s increasingly volatile, disruptive, unpredictable, hyper-competitive marketplace. Leadership must evolve and adapt to effectively deal with rapidly changing circumstances and black-swan events, which is why it’s continually redefined. The six seminars are:

Each seminar can be taken as a stand-alone course, but in order to qualify for the certificate, participants are required to complete all six titles. Titles will be offered across our Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter programs.

Course Description

Although counter-intuitive, the time to reinvent your business model and action a cultural transformation isn’t when things are going downhill … it’s when you’re at the top. Almost 90% of companies, including the very best, go into a growth stall. This has been the norm for more than 50 years. The trick is not to make it a death spiral. A landmark study of international business juggernauts confirms that, unless senior management is able to diagnose the root causes of regression and get the company back on track quickly, the odds of ever returning to healthy top-line revenue growth are rare to non-existent. The most common causes of decline are preventable. The assumption that corporate entropy is due to big, external forces is false. The vast majority of reasons are knowable and addressable, albeit ignored amidst the elixir of success. And the most significant one is a history of pre-eminence combined with a cycle of denial and rationalization that keeps the enterprise from failing to separate the signals from the noise and continuing to place the wrong strategic bets.

In today’s hyper-competitive world, driven by the exponential advance of technology, traditional strategic paradigms become leg irons, prior breakthrough practices harden into counter-productive routines, and core values that once differentiated your organization no longer motivate younger knowledge workers. Rather, they crystalize into inflexible policies and an apathetic, unengaged workforce. While innovation has always been at the heart of business success, it’s rarely been at the top of the management agenda. It gets rediscovered and discussed when things are going south and cost-cutting is the name of the game, but new strategic paradigm shifts and organizational redesigns are too often followed by the same-old mediocre, unenthusiastic execution that produces anemic results.

Applicable for

Anyone who may be wondering how long the gravy train will keep chugging along or who may be eyeing the early signs of business stagnation or decline. A growth or a leadership stall is an alarming signal amidst the noise that, in today’s world, cannot be ignored. Whether you are an owner, C-suite executive or middle manager, you all have critical roles to play in recognizing and righting a sinking ship before it’s too late.

Content

Not recognizing that the fundamentals are changing borders on leadership inertia, if not negligence. With the right tools in place and a different mindset about the forces of creative destruction, corporate regression is not inevitable. The solution lies in recognizing, then acting on, some uncomfortable though often unacknowledged truths. This one-off webinar, designed by a former business owner, CEO performance coach and strategic advisor of over fifty years standing, outlines the nature and scope of the problem and tells you what you need to know and do in order to ensure your current success doesn’t kill the golden goose. As he says, timely and artful diagnosis precedes remedy. It includes a 36-page Pre-course Workbook of supplemental notes and diagnostic tools.

Advisory: The course contains pre-work that should be completed before the seminar begins. The pre-work will be posted on the Learning Management System, accessible through Online Services approximately 1 week before the seminar start date.

Course Dates & Registration

Aug 25, 2026
8:30AM - 12:30PM
Online Virtual
Jim Murray
DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Available
Mar 17, 2026
8:30AM - 12:30PM
Online Virtual
Jim Murray
DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Past
Aug 26, 2025
8:30AM - 12:30PM
Online Virtual
Jim Murray
DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Past
Feb 26, 2025
8:30AM - 12:30PM
Online Virtual
Jim Murray
DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Past
Aug 27, 2024
9:00AM - 12:30PM
Online Virtual
Jim Murray
DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Past

Improving Your Virtual Learning Experience

Live webinars have varying levels of expected interaction, with some requiring microphone and camera capabilities to support a proper learning experience – please email pdreg@bccpa.ca if you have concerns. 

In general, we encourage participants to have their cameras turned on to enhance their virtual learning experience. This practice promotes a stronger connection with the instructor and fellow participants, and fosters improved communication and collaboration.

Live Webinar FAQs can be found here.  

 

Registration terms and conditions, including the cancellation policy can be found here. If you require further assistance, please contact the PD Department. 

Course Details
Cost
$270
Members
$295
Non-Members
Eligible Hours
4.5
CPD Hours
0
Ethics Hours
0
AML Hours
Passport
8
Credits

Starting April 1, 2026, a 2.1% fee will be applied to all credit card transactions. Learn more about this fee and how it relates to PD registrations.

Strategy, Governance, Risk & Human Resource

Why Successful Companies Fail (and how to fix them) (Live Webinar)

Former Title: Why Successful Companies Fail: Forewarned is Forearmed

DELIVERY FORMAT
Online Virtual
SEMINAR TYPE
PD Seminar
Course Details
Cost
$270
Members
$295
Non-Members
Eligible Hours
4.5
CPD Hours
0
Ethics Hours
0
AML Hours
Passport
8
Credits

Overview

The data is clear: businesses are disappearing faster than ever. Do they fail because of stubbornness, incompetence, taking unnecessary risks, increasing complexity or market uncertainty? Some obviously do. But most fail by doubling down on what made them successful. Early wins harden into bad habits. Complacency, intransigence or dogmatic adherence to the formula that brought market dominance in past almost guarantee they’ll perish in an increasingly volatile, paradoxical and technology-driven world. What are the early warning signals that things are going off track? What do you do when your strategy fails? How do you address the inflection points, evade the slippery downward slope, course correct and transition into a new operating model? This course will give you the answers.

 


 

This seminar is eligible towards
The Managing for High Performance Certificate Program

CPABC is pleased to present the Managing for High Performance Certificate Program. This seven-part program is designed primarily for managers ready to lead in the middle and take their game to the next level in today’s volatile. It’s also relevant to business owners or leaders who fully understand that every enterprise lives or dies on the quality of its managers. The seven seminars are:

Each seminar can be taken as a stand-alone course, but in order to qualify for the certificate, participants are required to complete all seven titles. Titles will be offered across our Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter programs.

 

This seminar is eligible towards
The Redefining Leadership Certificate Program

CPABC is pleased to present the Redefining Leadership Certificate Program. This six-part program is designed primarily for middle and senior mangers who are seeking to ascend to a higher level of executive responsibility in today’s transformative, paradoxical, confusing business world. Lessons learned in a less frenetic business environment no longer work in today’s increasingly volatile, disruptive, unpredictable, hyper-competitive marketplace. Leadership must evolve and adapt to effectively deal with rapidly changing circumstances and black-swan events, which is why it’s continually redefined. The six seminars are:

Each seminar can be taken as a stand-alone course, but in order to qualify for the certificate, participants are required to complete all six titles. Titles will be offered across our Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter programs.

Course Description

Although counter-intuitive, the time to reinvent your business model and action a cultural transformation isn’t when things are going downhill … it’s when you’re at the top. Almost 90% of companies, including the very best, go into a growth stall. This has been the norm for more than 50 years. The trick is not to make it a death spiral. A landmark study of international business juggernauts confirms that, unless senior management is able to diagnose the root causes of regression and get the company back on track quickly, the odds of ever returning to healthy top-line revenue growth are rare to non-existent. The most common causes of decline are preventable. The assumption that corporate entropy is due to big, external forces is false. The vast majority of reasons are knowable and addressable, albeit ignored amidst the elixir of success. And the most significant one is a history of pre-eminence combined with a cycle of denial and rationalization that keeps the enterprise from failing to separate the signals from the noise and continuing to place the wrong strategic bets.

In today’s hyper-competitive world, driven by the exponential advance of technology, traditional strategic paradigms become leg irons, prior breakthrough practices harden into counter-productive routines, and core values that once differentiated your organization no longer motivate younger knowledge workers. Rather, they crystalize into inflexible policies and an apathetic, unengaged workforce. While innovation has always been at the heart of business success, it’s rarely been at the top of the management agenda. It gets rediscovered and discussed when things are going south and cost-cutting is the name of the game, but new strategic paradigm shifts and organizational redesigns are too often followed by the same-old mediocre, unenthusiastic execution that produces anemic results.

Applicable for

Anyone who may be wondering how long the gravy train will keep chugging along or who may be eyeing the early signs of business stagnation or decline. A growth or a leadership stall is an alarming signal amidst the noise that, in today’s world, cannot be ignored. Whether you are an owner, C-suite executive or middle manager, you all have critical roles to play in recognizing and righting a sinking ship before it’s too late.

Content

Not recognizing that the fundamentals are changing borders on leadership inertia, if not negligence. With the right tools in place and a different mindset about the forces of creative destruction, corporate regression is not inevitable. The solution lies in recognizing, then acting on, some uncomfortable though often unacknowledged truths. This one-off webinar, designed by a former business owner, CEO performance coach and strategic advisor of over fifty years standing, outlines the nature and scope of the problem and tells you what you need to know and do in order to ensure your current success doesn’t kill the golden goose. As he says, timely and artful diagnosis precedes remedy. It includes a 36-page Pre-course Workbook of supplemental notes and diagnostic tools.

Advisory: The course contains pre-work that should be completed before the seminar begins. The pre-work will be posted on the Learning Management System, accessible through Online Services approximately 1 week before the seminar start date.

Course Dates & Registration

Aug 25, 2026
8:30AM - 12:30PM
Online Virtual
Jim Murray
DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Available
Mar 17, 2026
8:30AM - 12:30PM
Online Virtual
Jim Murray
DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Past
Aug 26, 2025
8:30AM - 12:30PM
Online Virtual
Jim Murray
DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Past
Feb 26, 2025
8:30AM - 12:30PM
Online Virtual
Jim Murray
DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Past
Aug 27, 2024
9:00AM - 12:30PM
Online Virtual
Jim Murray
DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Past

Improving Your Virtual Learning Experience

Live webinars have varying levels of expected interaction, with some requiring microphone and camera capabilities to support a proper learning experience – please email pdreg@bccpa.ca if you have concerns. 

In general, we encourage participants to have their cameras turned on to enhance their virtual learning experience. This practice promotes a stronger connection with the instructor and fellow participants, and fosters improved communication and collaboration.

Live Webinar FAQs can be found here.  

 

Registration terms and conditions, including the cancellation policy can be found here. If you require further assistance, please contact the PD Department. 

Starting April 1, 2026, a 2.1% fee will be applied to all credit card transactions. Learn more about this fee and how it relates to PD registrations.