The following are notes captured in a particular meeting I had a few years back with one of our advisors.
Notes
Stop sweating over $10,000 problems. Sure, you have to sweat the small stuff sometimes, but you can’t fixate on this. What’s the million-dollar problem?
When someone says, “We’re over budget by $50K,” It’s a $50K problem to pivot away from and towards:
Thinking bigger, absurdly bigger. It’s easier to think really big and bring it down a bit.
“How do we make THAT happen?”
“Here’s a new project!”
That’s not a new opportunity. Someone else can handle that. Who’s thinking really, really big?
Let’s think big, really big and future focus.
What are the massive problems that we can tackle?
The big stuff is not going to happen overnight. It takes time to make the idea happen.
It’s very common for companies that grow from small that the original people hold on to the mindset of “we once were struggling.” This is not a bad thing –the humility– but you also have to get out of your shell. Think bigger.
THINK BIGGER.
THINK BIGGER.
THINK BIGGER.
When you’re thinking bigger, then you’ll be bang on.
It’s more of a psychological and emotional barrier, not an intellectual barrier. The team has the intellectual horsepower to make it happen.
Discussing our last Summer Summit
You could have easily done that for 300 people vs 30. It would have been the same amount of work…
“Whatever you think you’re capable of, think higher.”
YOU need to set the agenda and ensure the dialogue happens.
Whatever you think the issue is, think 5x bigger. Think 10x bigger.
HUMILITY. Yes, let’s clean the toilets.
Now that you’re done go build that Rocket Ship.
CONCERNED WITH THE HOW.
He reminded me of the story of the elephant unable to break free from the rope..
——
COMBINATION OF INSPIRE & PUSH.
Put more energy towards that.
Help the team forget about the $10,000 problem. Stop focusing on the wrong stuff.
On a day-to-day basis, how can you apply yourself to that problem?
I get the sense that people are still waiting for K to say something.
They’re waiting for you to tell them the answer.
Get better at saying:
“I’m not going to give you an answer. I may challenge you if I don’t think you have the right answer.”
Look at this great stuff I did. Why and how I did it.
You’re on a bit of a soapbox. People agree with you. “K has crushed it. He’s amazing.”
Be careful not to create an environment of encouraging people to be ‘yes people’.
Be the catalyst, not the guy with all the answers.
