Leading Thoughts for January 9, 2025

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with:

Jack Trout on being a doer:

“The best leaders know that direction alone is no longer enough. The best leaders are storytellers, cheerleaders, and facilitators. They reinforce their sense of direction or vision with words and action.”

Source: The Power of Simplicity: A Management Guide to Cutting Through the Nonsense and Doing Things Right

Jack Welch on simplicity:

“For a large organization to be effective, it must be simple. Insecure managers create complexity. Real leaders don’t need clutter. People must have the self-confidence to be clear, precise, to be sure that every person in their organization—highest to lowest—understands what the business is to achieve. But it’s not easy. You can’t believe how hard it is for people to be simple, how much they fear being simple. They worry that if they’re simple, people will think they’re simple-minded. In reality, of course, it’s just the reverse. Clear, tough-minded people are the most simple.”

Source: Noel Tichy and Ram Charan: Speed, Simplicity, Self-Confidence: An Interview with Jack Welch, Harvard Business Review

Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index.

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