Successful leaders are putting limits on themselves
Here's how you can too
Hey team,
I’m home from a week of laying on a beach in Mexico, and buzzing to get stuck back into work.
For a little while I was obsessed with the concept of freedom in leadership.
When I was the ‘highest’ up in my career', I technically had the most choice over how we operated as a team and our decisions, choice over project deadlines, strategic direction, working hours etc.
But I saw quickly how it could become detrimental - If I wasn’t careful, even with all the freedom in the world, I ended up pushing deadlines, being stuck in decision paralysis and working overtime.
So I started placing very strategic limits on myself and my team to make sure that, even though we had huge amounts of freedom, we had real guidelines to work within.
Constraints or limits might seem like the opposite of freedom.
But giving yourself forced, positive, contraints will drive focus, creativity, and overall better outcomes.
Too many choices?
Consider this example: A Cheesecake Factory’s menu featuring 100 items.
Whilst the variety might seem exciting, the sheer number of options makes choosing overwhelming. This scenario perfectly illustrates the Paradox of Choice - a concept that reveals how an overabundance of options can lead to decision fatigue, reduced satisfaction, and ultimately, indecision.
As leaders, we often face similar challenges. The amount of decisions we make regarding strategy, team dynamics, and resource allocation can become overwhelming. This can lead to scattered focus, diluted initiatives, and a lack of action.
So, how do successful leaders navigate it? By placing healthy limits and constraints on themselves.
The power of constraints
When forced to work within limits, we prioritise, streamline, and innovate - often achieving more with less.
At GoProposal (The tech start up we grew and sold for 8 figures), we had zero investment. Zero investment into a tech company is almost unheard of. It meant we couldn’t hire 10s of developers off the bat, or run huge marketing campaigns. But it also meant we had to spend our money realllllly well. Everything had to generate profit.
So when our competitors had £50k to throw at an event for new business with no promise of return - we only had £1k. And instead we put on a smaller intimate event for our existing customers. Building a sense of community and exclusivity.
Although we were ‘constrained’ by a lack of money, we used it as a powerful tool, to make smarter decisions with less.
Famous examples of positive constraints
Apple’s product philosophy: Apple famously limits its product lines to focus on quality and innovation. By applying a similar approach to your projects or initiatives, you can drive deeper focus and higher quality outcomes. Less is more.
Twitter’s Character Limit: The platform’s original 140-character limit (now 280) transformed the way we communicate, forcing clarity and brevity in messaging.
Applying Constraints to your leadership
Now, how can you implement constraints to enhance YOUR leadership effectiveness?
Here are some strategies that have worked really well for me in the past:
Deadlines: Set strict deadlines for project milestones. A study by Harvard Business Review found that teams working under tighter deadlines were 36% more likely to deliver projects on time.
Resource allocation: Limit the resources available for a project. We don’t need to chuck the kitchen sink at everything. Google’s 20% time policy, where employees dedicate a fifth of their work time to personal projects, is a great example of how resource constraints can lead to innovation.
Decision-Making: When faced with a complex decision, reduce your options to three viable choices. This approach not only speeds up decision-making but often results in equally sound, if not superior, outcomes.
Limit meetings: First thing on a Monday morning, I would either cancel 50% of all my meetings that week, or reduce the 1hr meetings to 30 mins.
Start with small steps
Every single day I ask myself: ‘How can I lead and grow more effectively today, but with less?’
We live in a time of overconsumption, with everything being readily available to us.
The greatest leaders fight back, and know they can do the most, with way less than the rest.
Peace,
H
P.S. I have come back from holding to see my calendar getting booked up delivering empowering team workshops online for clients like Amex, Abercrombie & Fitch and so many more - Thank you <3
if you want an empowering talk delivering to your team, to be on the right side of management, download my workshops pricing guide here.