THE ONE THING

1. The Two Types of Leadership Problems (and What To Focus On)

The words “weather” and “climate” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re different terms.

Weather refers to short-term conditions of the atmosphere: “It’s raining in Boston today, and the temperature is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Climate refers to long-term conditions of the atmosphere: “Summers in Boston are usually warm and humid, and the temperature ranges between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Climate is the average weather over time during a specific period. It’s what you’d expect to get on a given day during a season. Weather is what you actually get.

The difference between those two terms is an excellent analogy for general leadership problems.

Weather problems are “one-off” challenges. Climate problems are “chronic” ones.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Team Member Performance: When someone on the team is not performing up to standards, is that because of a weather problem (a bad day due to extra pressure) or a climate problem (continuously missing deadlines)?

• Sales Strategy: When sales dipped last quarter, was that because of a weather problem (half the sales team was out of the office) or a climate problem (customers are shifting from product-based to service-based purchases)?

It’s not always easy to distinguish between the two because weather problems become climate problems when repeated a few times (and defining “a few” is subjective).

The takeaway

As a leader, focus on solving climate problems vs. weather problems because the former matters more in the long run.

INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS

2. Sutton’s Law: Start with the Obvious

I’m reading Malcolm Gladwell’s new book and came across the story of Willie Sutton, a notorious bank robber from the 1930s.

Over his 40-year criminal career, Sutton stole around $2 million and escaped from prison three times.

A reporter once asked him, “Why do you rob banks?”

Sutton famously replied, “Because that’s where the money is.”

This straightforward, tongue-in-cheek answer led to what is now known as “Sutton’s Law.”

In medicine, Sutton’s Law teaches students to consider the most common, obvious causes when diagnosing a patient’s symptoms.

In other words, it teaches them to start with the most likely explanation before exploring more complex possibilities.

The takeaway

As a business leader, you can apply Sutton’s Law when diagnosing organizational problems.

For example, if customer churn is rising, rather than jumping to factors like pricing models or competitor features, start by examining the most obvious (and most common) potential cause: poor customer support.

NEW COHORT

3. Want to Write a Business Book (With Me)?

Interested in writing a nonfiction book to help you elevate your status (even if you don’t have a lot of time or don’t know what to write about??

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It's about how to write a high-quality, nonfiction book (in less than 4 weeks using AI tools)

The course starts on Nov 19, 2024 and includes 8 total sessions over 4 weeks.

Enrollment is not open yet, but if you’re interested, you can click the link below to learn more and enter your information to be the first to know when access opens (and get an early-bird discount).

Click here to learn more about The 4-Week "Write Your Book on the Side" System Course

FUNNY MEMES

4. On Giving Your Boss “Preliminary” Timelines

THE 80/20

5. An 80/20 Tip You Can Apply Today

Here’s a low-effort, high-impact tip you can use with your team today:

• What: Take the time to explain tasks clearly and directly to your team

• Why: Assuming your team members will know what you want usually leads to disappointment. Being direct and specific in communication helps avoid misunderstandings and increases efficiency.

• Example: Instead of saying, “Please write a brief summary report about the status of our project,” say, “Please send me a one-slide PowerPoint presentation that summarizes the status of our project in a few bullet points.”