Photo By: Roland Tanglao

“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.”

Albert Einstein

Simplicity.

Clarity.

Could you use a bit more simplicity & clarity in your life? I know I could.

This is especially important to those in leadership roles.

Now a word about leadership – if you influence other people, you are a leader. And the best leaders can provide clarity and simplicity.

I had the chance to hear leadership expert Andy Stanley speak earlier this year on the topic of simplifying to lead others. In this talk, he pointed out three questions that anyone can ask of their organization, department, or even themselves.

Here are Andy Stanley’s 3 Questions to Clarify & Simplify

1.What Are We Doing?

Does everyone on your team understand what you are doing? I had the chance to attend a Ritz Carlton training session in D.C. where I saw firsthand how the organization elegantly summarizes their mission statement in such a way that everyone in the organization can repeat it and live it.

“We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.”

Powerful, and I still remember it to this day.

So it was absolutely no surprise to me when Andy used this exact example to point out how anyone at any level can appreciate, understand, and do amazing things with clarity.

2.Why Are We Doing It?

Wow – if only I stopped and asked this question of myself more often. Have you ever stopped to ask why your job exists? What about the department you work in? At some point your title and department were created to meet a specific need – if you can connect to that – things just become that much clearer.

3.Where Do I Fit In?

Now Andy brings things in to a more personal level.

What possible unique contribution can you make – think about the combination of talents, gifts, and experiences you have – all together, no one else can do the things you can.

Don’t try to be someone you are not – try to be even more of who you are.

This is the essence of strengths-based focus.

A Ferrari 458 Italia does a great job carving corners at ridiculous speeds at the track, but pales in comparison to the Toyota Sienna for reasons very obvious in the too-good-to-miss “Swagger Wagon” video below:

Now that you are either in pain from belly laughter or are out buying a minivan, let’s wrap this up.

Peace out to all my motherfathers out there.

P.s. The Ferrari link is NOT an affiliate link, so I sadly will not make any commission if you end up buying the 458 Italia after reading this post.

Where could you use a little more simplicity or clarity in your work?