As leaders, we spend the bulk of our time processing information and thinking. 

This, in collaboration with others, drives our team’s actions. 

Focusing on the wrong information ultimately leads to increased costs and lower return on effort and investment. 

Here’s how to ensure you’re executing the right actions. 

SET THE CADENCE

Effective communication is a master art of leadership but it’s only half of the puzzle. 

Effective listening is the missing link. 

To start listening more effectively, get a state of the union from every key team leader, synchronously or asynchronously, daily or weekly. You set the cadence. 

If you have to meet, use ‘The 15 minute Power Meeting’ to eliminate the excuse of “I don’t have time”. 

Everyone has time for a 15 min weekly meeting and it can supercharge the cadence of communications between your teams as it has for mine. 

THE ONE QUESTION SUCCESSFUL LEADERS ASK

When you’re meeting with your teams and team leads, before you meddle into trivial issues ask this one question regularly: 

“What opportunities exist right now?” 

If you do this often enough, 2-3 top opportunities will rise constantly to the top and the entire company will begin to think only on these top opportunities. 

Why focus on opportunities? 

It just so happens that when you solve an opportunity you also have to resolve any underlying issues to fully maximize your position on the opportunity. 

Plus the synergy and focused thinking will empower your teams to drive real change and ultimately make faster progress. 

THE LEADER’S TASK 

There are many tasks of a leader but the most important is orchestrating action.  

Your team must know what they are working towards, must be empowered, and you must remove any roadblock or barrier getting in their way towards progress. 

By directing your team’s actions towards progress and opportunities, the rhythm of your company will steadily increase its BPM, and your teams will start to become more fluid and effective… 

…potentially to the point to where you become nonessential for them to drive change. 

It’s a weird feeling, but when you make a powerhouse of a team, you’ll get used to it and you’ll get to focus on BIGGER growth drivers.