The problem you see may not be the problem you need to solve.
Sales are down.
Margins are shrinking.
The pipeline is unreliable.
Execution is inconsistent.
The owner is involved in everything.
The natural reaction is to attack the problem you can see.
But what if it's only a symptom?
When sales are inconsistent, the answer may not be pushing the sales team harder. The real problem could be an undefined ideal customer, a weak sales process, poor account planning, inadequate pipeline discipline—or simply pursuing opportunities that should have been disqualified much earlier.
When profitability is under pressure, the answer may not be cutting costs. The underlying problem could be poor pricing discipline, an unprofitable customer or product mix, quality problems, inefficient processes, or resources being consumed by work that creates very little Value.
And when execution becomes increasingly difficult, working harder may actually make things worse. The organization may have simply outgrown the systems, processes and leadership structure that got it this far.
Growing companies change. The problems change with them.
And sometimes the practices that helped create yesterday's success are no longer adequate for tomorrow's organization.
That's why I believe good leadership begins with diagnosis.
Before solving the problem, make sure you're solving the right problem.
I've found that asking better questions, looking beneath the visible symptoms and identifying the real constraint is often where the greatest opportunity for Value creation begins.
What problem in your business might actually be a symptom of something deeper?
