Keeping It Simple

Peter here:

It seems
that, sometimes, organisations are naturally attracted to making things
complicated. We like to manage, to analyse, to strategise, to understand. And
it can be very satisfying too, the ability to make sense of the complex and
unknown. One might even say that it gives us a sense of power – the sort that
comes from knowing stuff that others don't. Indeed, that's what seems to be
expected of managers: to always know more than everyone else. It’s often how
they've got to where they are – and really that’s no bad thing. We need people
who know what they’re talking about at the head of any organisation; we just
don’t want them to take refuge amidst complexity.

Great
leaders on the other hand are all about simplicity. The simplicity that comes
from a clearly articulated Why. The simplicity of remembering that who we are
being is as important as what we are doing. The simplicity that comes from being
as comfortable with not knowing all the answers as we are when we do.
Leadership steps up when logic and analysis don't apply.

As with all
things, it’s the balance that’s important. We need to manage and we need to
lead. The rather attractive thing about leadership is that its essence comes
from our authentic self, what we believe, not from the hard graft of business
school or years of experience in the field. People can – and do – lead without
formal training: it starts with being clear on our Why and that of the
organisation to which we belong.

Often we
can get so tied up in complexity – in managing – that we forget about the power
of simplicity. It's the simple things people remember. The simple action, the
simple word. It's the simple things that become absorbed in a culture. It's the
simple, clearly spoken truth or belief that inspires – not the complex facts or
data. And when people are inspired, new possibilities emerge.

Great
leaders have an ability to make things simple. To bring clarity – even in
chaos. To focus, and have others focus, on what really matters. Management can
be complex. Leadership can be very simple indeed.

As Leonardo
da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. Keep it simple and
hear the welcome cry from all those around you.