I once spent nine months building a deal with a telco company that was, by every measure, going well. We had executive sponsorship. The business case was strong. My champion was enthusiastic and well-connected internally. We were weeks from signing the contract. Then their CEO was replaced. Within a fortnight, three of my five stakeholders were reassigned. The new leadership announced a 90-day strategic review. Budget approvals were frozen across the board. My champion, who'd been confident...