Effective Leaders Simplify
Effective leaders cultivate simplicity.
Simplicity . . . begets Clarity . . . begets Focus . . . begets ACTION!
When I first begin working with Leaders, here’s a sampling of questions I ask:
How clear are you on what your organization most needs from you as Leader today?
How succinctly could your direct reports tell me their key contributions to the organization?
What is the “elevator talk” for your company’s goals in the next quarter?
We live in a complex — some say — chaotic world. The Leader’s role is to steer through the chaos and complexity towards simplicity of mission. When the mission . . . the goals . . . the roles are NOT clear . . .
Decision-making is paralyzed.
Good intentions travel in wrong directions.
Initiative is stifled.
Studies and planning overwhelm action.
Good compromises great.
Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright would say: “Think simple . . . reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles.”
Albert Einstein had his ‘Three Rules of Work,’ the first of which was “Out of clutter find simplicity.”
And in his excellent book on the topic, Essentialism, Greg McKeown describes the way of the Essentialist as “the relentless pursuit of less but better.”
I could use less choices when I stand in the grocery store trying to figure out which Orange Juice I’m supposed to buy. No pulp, low pulp or high pulp? With or without calcium? Extra Vitamin D or no? I stand there studying all of them. And even when I make my decision, I’m still not sure it’s the right one for the crew at home!
As a Leader, simplicity is your responsibility – both for yourself and for your team. How are you simplifying decision-making for others?
Simplicity . . . clarity . . . focus . . . must begin within you, personally, before you can cultivate it in others. What is cluttering and complicating your day, distracting you from your clear thinking and simple action?
Here are just a few ideas to help you simplify . . .
It is hard for me to be creative and write when I feel the clutter of emails awaiting a response from me. So a morning ritual I try to follow is to devote 30 minutes at the beginning of my day to clear out emails and texts that I didn’t get to the previous day (or overnight!). If some require longer consideration, I plug those into my to-do list for the day.
Phrases that help me “re-set” on essentials:
Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing . . .
Less is more . . .
Do a few things (really) well . . .
And a good question to keep asking: “What do I really want (in this situation)?”
Look at your schedule today. Identify key meetings and communications with the people you’re counting on to execute. How can you help simplify their tasks by bringing clarity to the essential actions?
How could I have simplified this post?!
As always, I welcome your feedback!