Building On The Backs Of Your People

I once heard a business adviser say “you have to build your business on other people’s work.”This rubbed me the wrong way at first, and I thought about it for over a year.If your goal as the leader of a company is to minimize expenses and maximize profit specifically for personal gain, then yes, this is as skeevey as it sounds.You’d be building your personal fortune on the backs of your workforce.And maybe that’s passably ethical, but it’s pretty selfish.If your goal is solve problems in the world, then this makes perfect sense. In fact, if your team is totally aligned with the social mission of the company, who wouldn’t want the company to benefit from their direct labor? That’s why they’re there!This isn’t really just about work or output, it’s about alignment and the definition of your mission.The clearer you are about WHY you’re working so hard, the easier it will be for you and your team to make personal sacrifices to get you there.And it’s basically impossible to stop a team so dedicated and relentless.Pick your mission. Be clear. Be relentless.

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What’s your mission?How could you be more specific in defining it ?How might you explain it to a 6-year-old?When you’re crystal clear on the WHY, the how and the what become much easier—and your output will become more useful and relevant.