Leaders are encouraged to not be afraid of failure. And I get this. To an extent. It’s rare that something great is created without the risk of failure. And bravery is knowing there is a risk of failure in doing something great, yet going ahead and doing it. But foolhardiness is to do it without […]
Execution
Great processes don’t remove the need to have great people
“Turn it into a process”. Most businesses I work with are either doing this, or live in shame because they’re not! I enjoyed Sam Carpenter’s Work the System. Along with The E-myth, it creates a compelling case for proceduralising what your business does. Rightly so. But the key justification I hear leaders cite for process […]
Leaders – pause before launching your team at your latest idea
More crucial than knowing which things to focus on is absolute clarity about what to not do altogether. Because those “not quite as important” things will block out your time, energy and focus, and prevent you giving those to the things that count. And that wastage gets amplified exponentially when you’re a leader. Those “wouldn’t […]
Good people sometimes do bad things
Sadly, I all too often see criticism at work focus on the individual rather than their actions. While we contextualise our own actions, we generalise everyone else’s. For example, I was late because my train was delayed, but you were late because you’re disorganised and don’t build in contingency. Or my report wasn’t 100% because […]
The importance of having a priority system
A bad, or no, prioritisation system can kill your company. Having an effective way to prioritise is one of the best defences against shiny object syndrome (any other business founders suffer?), analysis paralysis, procrastination and untenable life balance. Reading is my personal killer. I’ve a ton of books, articles and blog posts that I want […]