No Bullsh!t Leadership

1. Value Creation is the Core of Leadership

As a leader, you’re not there simply to be a personal role model. You’re there to create value.

Value-driven focus. Leadership isn't about popularity or personal attributes; it's about delivering value to stakeholders. This value can be financial, customer-driven, or related to safety, risk reduction, or efficiency. Leaders must understand what constitutes value in their context and align their actions accordingly.

• Financial value: Profitability, ROI, cost reduction
• Customer value: Superior products/services, loyalty, understanding needs
• Risk reduction: Operational, financial, reputational
• Safety: Protecting employees, reducing incidents

Activity vs. Value. Leaders must prioritize high-value activities and eliminate low-value ones. This requires a shift from focusing on inputs (activity) to focusing on outputs (value). It's about choosing what not to do, and ranking initiatives by their potential value.

• Zero-based planning: Challenge all existing activities
• Reward outcomes, not inputs
• Rank work by value, not just prioritize

Excellence over perfection. Striving for perfection can be counterproductive. Leaders should aim for excellence, which involves continuous improvement and a balance between quality and speed. It's about making progress, not achieving an unattainable ideal.

• Iterative approach: Start with a draft, refine over time
• Focus on risk: Understand the potential downside of decisions
• Reward the pursuit of excellence, even when it results in failure

2. Respect Trumps Popularity in Leadership

The secret of [leading] people is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are still undecided.

Respect over popularity. Leaders must prioritize respect over popularity. Not everyone will like you, and that's okay. The goal is to earn respect through competence, integrity, and a focus on results.

• Conflict aversion is a career killer
• Difficult conversations are essential
• Focus on the team, not personal acceptance

Trust is the foundation. Trust is a two-way street. Leaders must trust their people and earn their trust through openness, consistency, fallibility, truth, absence of self-interest, courage, and having their people's backs.

• Openness and transparency: Share thoughts and decisions
• Consistency: Be predictable in actions and reactions
• Fallibility: Acknowledge mistakes and limitations
• Truth: Be honest, even when it's difficult
• Absence of self-interest: Make decisions for the greater good
• Courage: Do what's right, not what's easy
• Having your people's backs: Give credit, protect from failure

Feedback is a gift. Difficult conversations are opportunities for growth. Leaders must provide clear, balanced, tangible, and accountable feedback, with support.

• Clarity: One key message
• Balance: Context of overall performance
• Tangibility: Specific examples
• Mutuality: Two-way conversation
• Criticality: Importance of the feedback
• Accountability: What needs to change
• Support: How you will help

3. Resilience is a Leader's Indispensable Strength

Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.

Balanced leader. Success requires a combination of intelligence (IQ), emotional intelligence (EQ), and resilience (AQ). Leaders must develop all three to navigate challenges effectively.

• IQ: Intellectual horsepower, ability to learn
• EQ: Ability to manage emotions, connect with others
• AQ: Ability to handle setbacks, persevere

Self-awareness is key. Leaders must be honest about their capacity for handling adversity. They must recognize their triggers and how they react under pressure.

• Landmine leader: Quick to anger, explosive
• Teflon leader: Blames others, avoids accountability
• Catatonic leader: Freezes, avoids decisions

Focus on what you can control. Leaders must focus their energy on their circle of influence and control, letting go of things they can't change.

• Cold hard facts: Things you can't change
• Control: What you think, say, do, and how you behave
• Influence: What you can impact through your actions

Perspective is essential. Leaders must put events into perspective, understanding the worst-case scenario and asking the right questions to manage fear.

• What's the worst that can happen?
• How material is the impact?
• What's the long-term impact?

4. Work at Your Level, Not Below It

The problem is, you’re not paid to do your people’s jobs, you’re paid to do your own.

Two key transitions. Leaders must navigate two key transitions: from individual contributor to leader of others, and from leader of others to leader of leaders. Each transition requires a shift in focus and capabilities.

• Leader of others: Close to the work, direct control
• Leader of leaders: Less control, more influence

Professional leader. Leaders must let go of their technical expertise and embrace their role as a leader. This requires a shift in identity and a focus on value creation through others.

• Shift from specialist to generalist
• Focus on enabling others, not doing the work
• Understand the value of leadership

Work at the right level. Leaders must avoid dipping down into the work of their people. This creates dependency, reduces accountability, and prevents growth.

• Focus on strategy, not tactics
• Build capability, not dependency
• Empower your people, don't do their jobs

Leave a level, leave a comfort zone. Each new level requires a new set of skills and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone.

• Understand the purpose of your new role
• Identify new relationships and groups
• Communicate your new focus

5. Master Ambiguity, Don't Be Paralyzed by It

The role of a leader, though, remains the same. As you take on accountability for more senior roles, a critical leadership capability is to sit comfortably in ambiguity, absorb the complexity and uncertainty of your environment, and then translate that uncertainty into tangible, concrete action for those you lead.

Ambiguity is a constant. Leaders must be comfortable operating in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment. They must translate uncertainty into clarity for their people.

• VUCA: Volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous
• Leaders must provide clarity, not confusion
• Connect daily tasks to higher-level objectives

Inaction is destructive. Leaders who can't manage ambiguity often stall, leading to a lack of trust, diluted accountability, and a loss of value.

• Lack of communication creates uncertainty
• Inaction chokes value creation
• Shared accountability becomes no accountability
• Ambiguity snowballs below you

No-regrets moves. When faced with intractable ambiguity, leaders must focus on no-regrets moves that create value regardless of the outcome.

• Build strong foundations
• Invest in core capabilities
• Drive efficiencies
• Gain insights
• Negotiate effectively
• Create contingencies

Ambiguity for competitive advantage. Leaders must use ambiguity to their advantage, identifying opportunities and making bold moves that competitors can't.

• Look for opportunities in times of crisis
• Be decisive, not reactive
• Take calculated risks

6. Decisive Action Beats Perfect Information

Making better decisions faster than your competitors is a key determinant of your organization’s ongoing success.

Timely decisions are critical. Speed is an essential element of great decisions. Leaders must act decisively, even in the absence of perfect information.

• Speed over accuracy
• Avoid analysis paralysis
• Make decisions and adjust as you go

Accountability is key. Decisions must be made by a clearly accountable person, as close as possible to the core expertise.

• Single-point accountability
• Empower those closest to the problem
• Avoid decision-making by committee

Consider multiple viewpoints. Leaders must seek input from diverse perspectives, but they must also filter out the noise and focus on the most relevant factors.

• Seek input, not consensus
• Filter out self-interest and fear
• Rank decision criteria by importance

Holistic impact. Great decisions consider the holistic impacts of problems, balancing short-term and long-term value, and addressing root causes, not just symptoms.

• Consider all stakeholders
• Balance short-term and long-term value
• Address root causes, not just symptoms

Communicate effectively. Leaders must communicate decisions clearly to their stakeholders, explaining the rationale and next steps.

• Be transparent about the process
• Explain the reasoning behind the decision
• Outline the next steps

7. Accountability is the Bedrock of Execution

Shared accountability is no accountability.

Single-point accountability. Every outcome must have a single accountable person. Shared accountability dilutes ownership and reduces the drive for results.

• One head to pat, one arse to kick
• Avoid management by committee
• Clearly define roles and responsibilities

Accountability vs. blame. Accountability is not about blame; it's about ownership and responsibility. Leaders must create a culture where people are empowered to make decisions and learn from their mistakes.

• Focus on learning, not blame
• Create a safe environment for risk-taking
• Reward effort and results

Empowerment is essential. Accountability must be paired with empowerment. Leaders must give their people the autonomy, resources, and support they need to succeed.

• Clear objectives and expectations
• Decision rights
• Appropriate resources
• Coaching and mentoring
• Support for cross-team issues
• Let people succeed or fail on their merits

Accountability in complex organizations. Even in matrix structures, single-point accountability is critical. Leaders must clearly define line and staff roles and ensure that accountability is not diluted.

• Line roles: Focus on core deliverables
• Staff roles: Provide expertise and support
• Line leaders are accountable for outcomes

8. Connect the Dots: Integrate and Apply

When you’re a leader, it is what you do that counts.

Integrate the principles. Leaders must integrate the seven imperatives into their daily work. This requires a commitment to self-mastery and a willingness to change.

• Deliver value: Focus on outcomes, not activities
• Handle conflict: Prioritize respect over popularity
• Build resilience: Manage emotions, focus on control
• Work at the right level: Empower others, don't micromanage
• Master ambiguity: Provide clarity, take decisive action
• Make great decisions: Prioritize speed, seek input
• Drive accountability: Empower, don't blame

Set the tone, pace, and standard. Leaders must set the tone for their team, establishing clear expectations for behavior and performance.

• Tone: Cultural norms, ethical standards
• Pace: Decision-making speed, momentum
• Standard: Performance expectations, quality

Create a meeting cadence. Leaders must establish a regular meeting cadence to communicate, coach, and hold people accountable.

• One-on-one meetings: Build relationships, provide feedback
• Group meetings: Communicate strategy, review performance
• Annual planning: Set priorities, allocate resources

Eat your own dog food. Leaders must model the behaviors they expect from their people. They must be the most accountable person in the organization.

• Lead by example
• Be accountable for your own actions
• Hold others to account

Last updated: January 17, 2025