Simple and Easy to Replicate
It seems simplicity is underrated in business. In fact, I think it’s underrated in a lot of different walks of life. Chick-fil-A built a wildly successful fast casual restaurant chain by making fried chicken sandwiches. No burgers or hot dogs. Mariano Rivera a pitcher for the New York Yankees, built a Hall of Fame career using basically one pitch. One pitch to get three outs, that’s it. Law and Order, one of the most successful television franchises of all time does every single episode the same, from two different vantage points. The police investigation and the prosecution in court, no more.
It’s like the hedgehog concept from Jim Collins book, “Good to Great”. The hedgehog is highly effective using only one technique to ward off predators. It rolls into a ball and allows its spiny coat to protect it. No matter what techniques the predators use to attack, the hedgehog’s response is the same. It’s very effective, yet very simple and easy to replicate again and again.
Consistent and Simple Fundamentals
Working with hundreds of executives in various organizations, I’ve often observed that they create too much complexity to achieve what they want. They struggle with trying to find just the right concept that they can learn in order to lead their team more effectively. They read book after book and article after article searching for the Holy Grail idea that will make the dramatic transformation, when all they need to do is to practice the essential attributes of leadership on a consistent basis. It’s not a lack of ideas that’s a barrier to their success, it’s the lack of consistently practicing the fundamentals that holds them back. As you regularly review the ADEPT Advantage℠, I hope you will find a few simple leadership fundamentals that you can consistently apply to improve relationships with your people and the overall performance of your team.
– Paul