No Bullsh*t Leadership

1. Leadership is for Everyone.

Anybody who has people who depend on them is a leader.

Beyond the C-suite. Leadership isn't confined to politicians, CEOs, or generals. It exists everywhere people rely on others, whether managing a small team, coaching a sports club, or leading a school department. Millions are everyday leaders, often without recognizing it, and empowering them is crucial for societal progress.

Not born, but learned. Leadership isn't an innate personality trait like charisma or confidence. It's a skill, a muscle that can be trained and developed through conscious effort and practical experience. The traditional idea of a single "leadership type" is bullshit that excludes many potential leaders.

Authority and responsibility. The core of leadership lies in having both authority and responsibility. Without both, you cannot truly lead, regardless of your title. Recognizing this dual aspect is the first step to grasping your leadership opportunity and thriving in the role.

2. Define a Simple, Ambitious Destination.

Leadership is simply the getting from one place to another.

Know your points. To lead, you only need to know two things: your starting point (where you are now) and your end point (where you want to go). Define your current state honestly, using simple, tangible measures like performance data or direct feedback from those on the ground.

Simple, clear objective. Your destination doesn't need a complicated "vision" or "mission" statement. Avoid jargon and consultant-speak. A clear, simple objective, like "win the next World Cup" or "be the best," is easy to understand, remember, and act upon. It serves as a constant touchstone for decisions.

Ambition drives transformation. While simple, your objective should be ambitious enough to demand transformation, not just incremental improvement. Aiming to be "better" leads to small changes; aiming to be "the best" forces rapid, dramatic action. Focus on what works for your team and organization, not what seems intellectually complex.

3. Execution is Everything: Get Stuff Done.

It is impossible to be a real leader if you can’t get stuff done.

Strategy is just the map. Strategy describes the route from point A to point B, but the leader's most challenging and important task is execution – actually doing the work to get there. As Peter Drucker noted, strategy ultimately devolves into work.

Action creates impact. Many leaders fail by overthinking strategy and under-emphasizing action. The formula for Leadership Impact is (objectives + strategy + team + values + motivation) x (action). If action is zero, the impact is zero, regardless of how brilliant the planning. Imperfect action is vastly superior to perfect inaction.

Results require action. Exciting results come from consistent action, not just clever ideas or detailed plans. Ideas are cheap; turning them into reality through brilliant execution is where true value lies. The leader's primary goal and daily task is to create action and momentum.

4. Be Decisive: Action Trumps Perfection.

The most wrong you can be is to not take decisions at all.

Decide to decide. Make decision-making a top priority. Ensure decisions are pushed down the organization as far as possible to empower teams. Effective teams need leaders who are seen as decisive, balancing important and urgent tasks.

Embrace the 40/70 rule. Don't wait for perfect information. Colin Powell's rule suggests acting when you have 40-70% certainty. Waiting for more than 70% means you've likely waited too long. Accept the possibility of error and move forward anyway.

Reframe decision fear. Shift the team's fear from making wrong decisions to the greater fear of not making enough decisions quickly. A culture paralyzed by the fear of error becomes slow and dependent. Embrace the inevitability of mistakes; they are part of progress. Use checklists for routine tasks to free up mental energy for crucial decisions.

5. Culture is Your Ultimate Weapon.

Culture is the behavioural environment the leader creates in order for her team to outperform – it’s the ultimate super-weapon.

Beyond website values. True culture is the lived reality of how people behave, often very different from generic values listed on a website. Cynicism arises from the gap between claimed values and actual behavior. Culture is set by the behavior of management, not by written statements.

Impossible to copy. While products and strategies can be copied, organizational culture is nearly impossible for competitors to replicate. It's the most powerful and resilient tool a leader has to make their team greater than the sum of its parts and outperform others.

Smash the concrete. Changing a broken culture requires highly impactful, physical actions, not just soft initiatives like free fruit. Culture is like concrete; once set, it must be smashed to be reshaped. Visible changes, like altering physical space or team structure, signal that the old ways are gone and build belief in the new.

6. Build a Decision-Making Culture.

The key is to ask a simple question: ‘What do you recommend?’

Decentralize decision-making. An organization with only one decision-maker will underperform. Effective teams need leaders at all levels. In a fast-moving world, teams must be prepared to adapt plans locally to achieve a clear, shared objective.

Empower with "What do you recommend?". Avoid becoming a bottleneck where people offload problems onto you. Instead, ask "What do you recommend?" This simple question encourages responsibility, allows you to offer support without taking over the problem, and builds the team's decision-making muscle.

Nimbleness requires decisions. Organizations claiming to be "nimble" actually mean they have "a culture that's good at making decisions." Nimbleness isn't about process; it's about empowering people at all levels to make smart, responsible decisions quickly. Get rid of "Caesars" who stifle independent thought and action.

7. Attract & Keep the Best People.

How good are you for the careers of those who work for you?

Talent is key. Alongside culture, attracting and retaining great people is fundamental to outperforming competitors. Many organizations are just buildings full of people; the difference lies in the quality of the talent and the culture they inhabit.

Talent acquisition is everyone's job. Leaders at all levels must prioritize acquiring and keeping the best people. Don't outsource this to HR; it's a primary task. Consider your organization as being in the talent acquisition and retention industry.

Be good for careers. A powerful question to ask yourself and others is: "How good are you for the careers of those who work for you?" If your team feels you are helping them grow and achieve their personal ambitions (aligned with team goals), they are more likely to stay motivated and perform at their best.

8. Lead Yourself First: Energy & Resilience.

The successful leader must be a selfish leader: she must take as much care of herself as she does of others.

Prioritize your well-being. Leadership is demanding and requires sustained energy and resilience. You must put yourself on your to-do list, near the top. Just as passengers fit their own oxygen masks first, leaders must care for their own mental and physical health to effectively support their team.

Set a healthy example. Your behavior shapes the team's culture. If you work excessively long hours and never switch off, your team will likely feel pressured to do the same, leading to an unhealthy culture and burnout. Encourage downtime and work-life balance by modeling it yourself.

Embrace resilience and vulnerability. Failures and setbacks are inevitable. Resilience is the ability to bounce back, like falling down seven times and standing up eight. Don't fear vulnerability; it's a measure of courage and essential for creativity and change. Accept self-doubt as normal, but act despite it.

9. Transforming a Broken Team: A Practical Guide.

No organisation is a lost cause.

Start with honesty. Define the current state simply and honestly, using both data and qualitative insights. Trust your gut, but also listen intently to employees, customers, and even former customers. Pay attention to the organization's "body language" – small, visible signs that reveal its true state.

Find your core coalition. You can't transform alone. Identify a small group of capable, committed individuals ("first five") to act as shock troops. Divide key tasks, set an example through action, and focus on making change happen quickly to build belief that transformation is possible.

Move fast, break stuff. In the early stages of change, action is paramount. Focus on "freeing the post" – breaking free from inertia and proving that change can happen. Be iconoclastic and fearless, making visible changes quickly. Don't be afraid to be wrong; be afraid of inaction. Make the objective personal for everyone, explaining the individual benefits of change. Tell the truth, listen to uncomfortable feedback, and build a culture of honesty and trust.

Last updated: May 3, 2025