Intent-Based leaders create an environment where it’s safe for people to remove items from products and from plans. Not only does it make doing the work more sustainable, experience and research show that we often get more creative solutions when we remove things. Jenni is here with more.
What makes us always want to add to our products and our plans? Turns out, we’re biologically wired to add things.
When we can check items off our to do lists, we feel accomplished. Getting things done signals reward in our brains. And the more that we can get done, the more competent we feel. The problem is, we can’t always get everything done. And in fact, it often doesn’t make sense to do everything.
Leidy Klotz’s main message in his book, “Subtract,” is try less before more. But as he writes, the trouble with subtracting is that we don’t necessarily feel as competent or look as competent as we did when we do everything.
As leaders, we need to create an environment where it’s safe for people to remove items from products and from plans. Not only does it make doing the work more sustainable experience and research show that we often get more creative solutions when we remove things.
So the next time you’re tempted to add, look at what you might remove first. I’m Jenny Epson with your leadership nudge. Let us know how it goes.
