B. Shane Long - Author & Transformation Strategist

Organizations thrive when people are willing to take thoughtful risks, challenge assumptions, and pursue new ideas. Innovation, adaptability, and continuous improvement depend on a culture where experimentation is possible.

Yet when an initiative falls short of expectations, failure is often viewed through a single lens.

That approach overlooks an important distinction.

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹.

Some failures occur because a team made a thoughtful decision based on the information available at the time. They tested an idea, explored a new approach, or took a calculated risk in pursuit of a better outcome. The result may not have been what they hoped for, but the process generated insight that can improve future decisions.

These failures often contribute to learning. They help organizations refine assumptions, strengthen judgment, and build knowledge that would have been difficult to gain otherwise.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿.

𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵.

They stem from issues that were avoidable: 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. When the same mistakes continue to surface without meaningful reflection or change, the organization is not learning—it is simply absorbing unnecessary costs.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲.

One of the most important responsibilities of leadership is recognizing the difference between these two types of failure.

When people are penalized for every unsuccessful outcome, they become less willing to take thoughtful risks. Over time, 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀, 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀.

At the same time, treating all failures as acceptable can weaken accountability and make it harder to address recurring problems.

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.

They create environments where people are encouraged to experiment responsibly, where lessons are captured and shared, and where repeated mistakes are examined rather than ignored.

The goal is not to eliminate failure altogether. The goal is to ensure that when failure occurs, it contributes to learning rather than becoming a recurring pattern.

In my experience, 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣'𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮—𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮—𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙚.

As a leader, which type of failure do you think organizations struggle to recognize most often?

The 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘀 ain’t (yeah - you heard me), Ain’t 𝗮𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀.

Behind that simple plug is a tangled web of legacy standards, protocol limits, and unpredictable behavior. If you are an AV professional, you have felt this pain firsthand.

That is exactly what we are going to fix at 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲. Mike McIntyre, Brian Studwell, and I are leading a session to help you cut through the confusion and start designing with confidence.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲:
Thursday, June 18 | Room W230
Session ES74: The Non Universal Serial Bus: Untangling USB for AV Integration
Earn 1.5 CTS credits

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲:
1️⃣ Already registered? Add this session to your planner: https://www.infocommshow.org/2026-sessions/the-non-universal-serial-bus-untangling-usb-for-av-integration
2️⃣Register for the show if you haven't, just click the link in the comment section.

*Admission is based on room capacity and is first come, first served. So show up on time.

Let's solve this USB puzzle together.

For years, leaders have been taught to make a choice.
𝙋𝙪𝙩 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬.
The problem is that many organizations interpreted the message as "𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺," even when the 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀.

More channels.
Faster response times.
Longer hours.
Higher expectations.

At first, customers win. But eventually, exhausted employees struggle to deliver the experience customers have come to expect.
What if we've been framing the conversation incorrectly?

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.
I𝘁'𝘀 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

The strongest organizations understand that these aren't competing priorities. They're connected priorities.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘀.
The goal isn't choosing one over the other. Instead, it is to build a system where both reinforce each other.

For years, we've been taught to put customers first. But what if that mindset is incomplete?
W𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲?

Let me share a quick horror story from a conference room. Tell me if you’ve heard this one (or one like it)
Senior leadership on the call, waiting for you to join. Plug in the USB-C cable. Screen flickers… then nothing. Try again. Same result. Every reconnect made it worse.
For a moment, you question everything. Laptop. Room system. Sanity.
The fix took 30 seconds.
Wrong cable.
Looked identical, but it lacked the proper USB e-marker chip to support 4K video. Swapped to a certified cable and everything worked instantly.
USB is not “one cable fits all.”
Capabilities matter.
Sometimes the scariest thing in a professional environment is a cable that looks right but isn’t.

That is why Mike McIntyre, Brian Studwell, and I are bringing this session to 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲. We’ll untangle the mess USB can be in professional AV - showing you exactly what to look for, how to design smarter and more reliable systems, the questions you should be asking, and how to fix problems when things don’t behave as advertised.

𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:
The Non Universal Serial Bus: Untangling USB for AV Integration (ES74)
Thursday, June 18 | Room W230 | 1.5 CTS credits

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀:
🔹 Already have your pass? Log in and add this session to your planner: https://www.infocommshow.org/2026-sessions/the-non-universal-serial-bus-untangling-usb-for-av-integration
🔹 Register for InfoComm here if you haven't yet. Link in the comments.

Heads up: Seats go fast. This is a first-come, first-served room - and the people near the front usually get the SWAG. So plan to arrive early.

I look forward to seeing you there.

If you have worked with 𝗨𝗦𝗕 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗩 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁, you already know. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹.

Mike McIntyre, Brian Studwell, and I will be at 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝘀 𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘀, breaking down the chaos. We are going to talk about why USB causes so many headaches and how to fix it. No theory. Real-world tools and strategies you can use right away.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:
1. How to decode USB compatibility issues on the fly.
2. How to avoid the common pitfalls that trip up most integrators.
3. How to design systems that actually work the first time.

The session is called "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘯 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘶𝘴: 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘜𝘚𝘉 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘝 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯" (ES74).

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼:
➡️ If you haven't registered for InfoComm yet, grab your pass here: https://www.infocommshow.org/
➡️ If you already have your pass, log in and add this session to your personal planner right now:
https://www.infocommshow.org/2026-sessions/the-non-universal-serial-bus-untangling-usb-for-av-integration

Show up early on Thursday, June 18, in Room W230 to get a seat. You will also earn 1.5 CTS credits.

See you there.

In 24 hours, the 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴℠ 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 begins.

You’re not buying a PDF or a video library. Not another resource that collects digital dust.

This is a 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀:
- A small group of people who will know your objectives
- A framework that has helped leaders move from survival mode to intentional growth
- Six Wednesdays of focused work on your own Life Charter and 90-day plan

Real growth happens when everyone gets feedback. That's why the group stays small.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 – 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁.

Tomorrow at 8 PM ET, we begin.

🔗 Register here: https://bshanelong.com/services/masterminds/

I learned a simple rule from a wise mentor: 𝙒𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 = 𝙒𝙖𝙞𝙩.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 – financially, relationally, or professionally – 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗲𝘀.

Apply that to a new car, a major investment, or a career change. 𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀.

Now apply it to the mastermind. You’ve seen the posts. You’ve read about the framework. You’ve had time to think.

If you’re still considering it, ask yourself: 𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚? 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙢?

If the answer is yes, then the waiting period is over. The next step is action.

We are two days away. Your seat is waiting for you. Grab your spot here 🔗
https://bshanelong.com/services/masterminds/

The Pareto Principle isn’t just for business. It applies to your time, your energy, your relationships, and your finances.

Roughly 𝟮𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀. The rest? Activity that feels productive but rarely moves the needle.

Here’s the hard question: 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝟮𝟬% 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪?

Most people don’t. They spread themselves thin across the 80%, wondering why they feel busy but not fulfilled.

The 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴℠ 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 helps you identify your 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝘄 – the priorities, values, and objectives that actually generate momentum. Then you build a plan around those.

𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟳. 𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀. 𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀.

🔗 Join the cohort: https://bshanelong.com/services/masterminds/

Setting goals without first defining what success looks like for 𝘺𝘰𝘶 is like designing a dream mansion without knowing where to build it. Even the most beautiful structure loses its value if it’s placed in the wrong landscape.

Many leaders spend years chasing what others value – more revenue, more recognition, more activity. And they end up with empty wins.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂. Not your neighbor. Not your industry. Not the highlight reels on social media.

The NorthStar Living℠ System starts with one question: What do you truly value? Not what you 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 value.

Week 1 of the online mastermind is dedicated to that question. Because until you answer it honestly, you’re just borrowing someone else’s map.

🔗 Save your seat: https://bshanelong.com/services/masterminds/