Manage the people, not the business

The hardest task for any leader is evolving how they spend their time when their scope of responsibility grows. There is a timeless phrase: what got you here, will not get you to where you need to go. While most people intuitively understand it, acting on it is much more difficult.

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For many years, the world’s economy was driven by the shipping industry. While every ship consisted of many crew members, the ultimate role of responsibility lied with the captain of a ship.

The captain was the final decision-maker, the administrator, the navigator, and disciplinarian. The captain has responsibilities to 3 things, in order:

First, the ship’s owners.

Second, the ship’s cargo.

Third, the ship’s crew.

The hierarchy of responsibility is critical to understand, as it dictated priorities and focus for the captain. Said another way, it defined how a captain spent their time.

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