To ensure you follow through on major initiatives you might otherwise abandon, announce them publicly to your audience. This "burn the boats" approach creates external pressure and social accountability, making it harder to retreat and forcing you to stay consistent.
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To be seen as a strategic executor, consistently apply a simple three-step process: 1) Say what you're going to do. 2) Do the work. 3) Say you did it, celebrating the outcome and reminding stakeholders of the original commitment. This loop builds trust and reinforces your strategic capability.
For a controversial strategic shift, a co-founder's "moral authority" is invaluable. They can absorb the risk of looking foolish and give up their responsibilities ("Legos") to spearhead a new initiative. This allows them to champion a new direction with a level of credibility that can overcome internal skepticism.
To overcome the tendency to switch projects, implement a two-part system. First, commit to a single initiative for a non-negotiable period of 1,000 days. Second, document your journey publicly. This combination of a long-term timeframe and external accountability dramatically increases your probability of success.
Abstract concepts like accountability are hard to manage. Make it concrete by using a model of behaviors, from negative (blaming, complaining) to positive (owning, solutioning). This gives people a clear framework for choosing self-accountability.
When launching a new strategy, define the specific go/no-go decision criteria on paper from day one. This prevents "revisionist history" where success metrics are redefined later based on new fact patterns or biases. This practice forces discipline and creates clear accountability for future reviews.
Contrary to keeping targets private to avoid failure, entrepreneur Mark Laurie advocates for announcing huge goals publicly. This act forces the team to reverse-engineer a plan, aligns stakeholders on the ultimate prize, and increases the probability of achievement—making the risk of public failure worth it.
To overcome the paralysis of perfectionism, create systems that force action. Use techniques like 'time boxing' with hard deadlines, creating public accountability by pre-announcing launches, and generating financial stakes by pre-selling offers. These functions make backing out more difficult and uncomfortable than moving forward.
Even with a solid plan, failing to communicate it *before* execution makes you seem reactive. Leaders perceive strategy through proactive announcements. Stating what you are going to do frames your actions as deliberate, while explaining them only when asked sounds defensive and tactical.
Committing to a challenge that feels beyond your current capabilities, especially publicly, creates accountability. This forces you to stretch, train, and develop new skills to meet the commitment, leading to significant personal and professional growth.
To get your team to adopt a new strategy, you as the leader must present it with absolute conviction. Any hesitation you express will be amplified by your team, leading them to reject the idea because they sense your lack of belief.
