Simplifying

Simplifying things isn’t always a good choice for leaders.

It's not about dumbing stuff down, but more about clearing up the mess and making sense of it all. Think of it like compressing a file without losing any important bits. It's tough to do, but that's exactly why it's so valuable.

The more we simplify, the more we think we’ve got it all figured out. And when we think we understand something, we start believing we can control it.

Simplification can make us overestimate how much we can actually control, especially when it comes to random events.

We might come up with a working model or even think we’ve optimized everything, but at the end of the day, it's still just a model.

The world is way more complicated than any model we could possibly create.

This is why it's worth remembering that being simple isn’t the same as being simplistic. Einstein said it best: “Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler.” That’s the sweet spot we’re aiming for.

The number one leader’s job is to embrace this paradox.

We can’t get rid of complexity, we’ve got to learn that simplicity isn’t about eliminating complexity, is about resolving complexity.

Which is exactly what every leader tries to achieve.