The work they do
Does your team love the work they do?
Do they love what they do?
How they do it?
Why they do it?
Have you asked them?
What would make it so for them?
(And, of course, do you love the work you do?)
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The Taxi Incident
So you’re the CEO.
You’ve just landed from a business trip and need to get back to the office.
You jump into a taxi.
But instead of providing a destination, you give turn-by-turn directions.
Like every … single … turn …
You bark orders to wait at traffic lights.
Tell the driver to go faster, and then to slow down.
By the time you arrive, you’re thoroughly frustrated about the driver’s incompetence.
You even feel proud of how you’ve fixed the situation and led the taxi driver to arrive safely at your office.
Also, that whole situation is kinda hilarious, isn’t it? Hard to imagine that anyone would act like that in real life.
And yet, micromanaging is still the norm in so many businesses. Worse, managers pride themselves on their firefighting.
The alternative is to replace 100 orders with one. Simply tell the driver the destination and let him handle the route.
Freed from the things others can do better than you, you can use the ride to close deals, brainstorm ideas, or plan the next strategic move.
You’ll step out of the taxi not only at your destination but miles ahead in your work.
Very easy to see with a taxi ride.
But how many areas exist in a business where it’s not as easy to see? The irony, of course, is that the driver not only knows the map better than the CEO—they have a navigation system and know how to use it.
Now, what about your business? Are there places where you might give too specific guidance rather than simply telling the team where you’re headed?
Do you trust your team to know how to drive the taxi and make choices along the way?
PS: If you want help in finding the right words to articulate where you’re headed, reach out.
Don’t confuse your vision with your marketing
A lesson for entrepreneurs from one of tech’s biggest failures in recent years.
It’s well known that tech brands like to paint sweeping narratives of transformation, promising us devices that will reshape our lives and disrupt industries.
They love larger-than-life stories and lofty promises to captivate our imaginations with visions of groundbreaking innovation.
Such as Humane’s ai pin which was marketed as the product to finally free us all from the slavery of our phones, a personal assistant that looks like it’s coming directly out of a Star Trek movie with features that definitely sound SciFi.
But reviews were brutal.
Their product didn’t deliver.
Worse, it failed at basic tasks.
Apparently, Humane wanted too much.
They certainly promised too much.
Perhaps, they had confused their vision with their marketing.
Vision is crucial, but it needs to align with current capabilities.
The vision might be what motivates the team.
It informs the choices you make.
But it’s not the reality.
At least, not yet.
You shouldn’t make promises that sound as if it were.
I think it’s a safe bet that reviewers were merciless at least in part due to their oversized promises.
Had they marketed it more grounded in reality, for example as a first step towards that vision, perhaps even with more limited functionality (but which actually works as expected), reviewers might have reacted very differently.
They might have rooted for the newcomer.
Followed along their journey.
Cheered for the little successes along the way.
But Humane chose the grandiose, larger-than-life story.
I think they confused vision with marketing.
The leap to our vision
Here’s why some leaders struggle to align their team behind their vision: They haven’t made the leap from “my vision” to “our vision”.
When it’s “my vision”, why should the team care? They will do their job because they’re paid to do so. But anything more than that? You will need some decent persuasion skills and perhaps have to drop in an incentive or two.
But when it’s “our vision”, that’s a different journey. It’s as much their drive as it is yours. Even if they might not burn for it just as much as you do, the team is intrinsically motivated to get there.
So, what about “your vision” makes it “our vision”? How does it align with what matters to the team? Where’s the common drive?
A great way to find out is through conversations. Great visions aren’t usually crafted at night, sitting at a desk in a dark office. Much more often, they are the results of curiosity and exploration, asking questions and listening closely to what others have to say.
The better you understand what matters to the people on your team, the better you’ll be positioned to transition from “your vision” to “our vision”, a vision that not only motivates you but the whole team.
PS: Reach out if you need support.
On to something new
Heading there means leaving here.
Change becomes easier once we acknowledge that.
What will we gain?
But also, what will we miss?
What’s pulling us ahead?
But also, what’s holding us back?
Some change initiatives fail because they are framed as “here it’s bad” vs “there it’s glorious”.
But it’s hardly ever black and white.
In fact, it’s often not an easy choice.
For some team members, it’ll be a tough journey.
Instead of dismissing the “here”, it would make it easier for them if we embraced the fact that some things have actually been pretty good over here.
In moving forward, we do not have to forget the past.
We can carry forward our experiences, our lessons,
the very essence of who we are.
This is what transforms the journey into our journey.
Grand visions for 2024
Grand visions for 2024 are a dime a dozen.
The actual challenge is to patiently distill the essence of your vision and effectively share it in a way that resonates deeply with your team, investors, and customers.
What do you see exactly? Can you articulate it? Can you get really specific about what you see for the future?
But also, do you listen carefully? To your team, the market, and even to your inner voice?
Are you open to feedback and different perspectives, which can refine and sometimes even challenge your vision?
Do you understand how your vision aligns with the values, aspirations, and needs of your team, investors, and customers?
This specificity is a powerful tool. Because the clearer you see something, the better you can articulate that thing in a way that others see it, too.
When you’re able to articulate your vision with the clarity that allows others to see it, too, it transforms from a personal dream into a collective journey that everyone is invested in.
What do you see?
Context isn’t a luxury
When you just throw tasks at your team without context, what do you get? People doing the bare minimum because they don’t see the bigger picture.
But when you take a moment to explain the ‘why’, it’s a game-changer. Instead of micromanaging you pursue clarity. Instead of throwing tasks at them you empower them to make choices. Instead of blindly following orders, your team can innovate and take charge.
Think of it this way: just handing someone a puzzle piece versus showing them the full image.
Context isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.
By offering clarity, you’re not just getting tasks done, you’re building leaders.
Take the time to explain things.When everyone gets it, they can take charge.
Beyond the vision
A visionary leader steps in, armed with fresh ideas and an eagerness to disrupt. Bold plans are set: reinvent traditional practices, leverage modern tools, shift paradigms.
Then bold plans meet confidence and the leader doesn’t waste a single second putting it into practice. He confidently leads the way.
Only to discover that the team doesn’t follow.
The leader’s vision for the destination is evident. But that’s not enough when crucial questions remain unanswered: “Why are we heading there?”, “Why is this journey ours to undertake?”, and “How do we make choices along the way?”
These questions are not mere details. They form the bedrock of collective understanding and commitment.
That’s the difference between “leading the way” and “lighting the path”. While the former may define direction, the latter provides clarity on the journey’s purpose, the team’s unique role, and the principles that guide decision-making along the way.
True leadership fuses vision with shared purpose. It ensures not just movement, but meaningful progress.
When a team understands the destination, grasps the significance of their role, and is equipped with decision-making compasses, they’re not just following — they’re embarking on a shared odyssey.
PS: I’m assembling a list of leaders who master this. If you know one, no matter if they’re well known or not, please reply to tell me about them!
Different answers
If you asked every member on your team where they think you’re headed, how many different answers would you get?
When was the last time you asked?
If they asked you, what would you respond?
PS: May I ask you a favor? Respond to this post with a single number, the number of sentences it took you to answer that question.
A quick question
Imagine a scenario where your team feels as invested in the company’s vision as you are; what changes in your leadership approach would foster that environment?
Would love to hear your thoughts on that!
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