“It’s not that hard!” Can You Lead?

Originally written in June 2015
Miguel is on the staff at one of my client companies. One day he told me, “It’s not that hard.” He was referring to, It’s not that hard to run the business well. But sometimes managers run a business into the ground. They’re trying hard and putting in their best efforts. But they’re not getting the results they need.

He captured a theme often seen in American management: why are managers making it so hard to run a successful business? Business fundamentals can be applied to any organization (a school, start-up, family owned, non-profit, Fortune 1000 corporation.) There are leadership principles that are effective enough to help businesses prosper, improve, innovate—and sometimes turn around and pull out of recessions, even when others are struggling. Why do so many organizations struggle, internally, externally, and financially? There is old thinking that needs to transform. To do this takes courage and commitment to learn and work together at a whole different level.

Often, employees see what needs to change. But they can’t change the system they are in. The leaders have created it, and only they can transform it, with the help of the employees.