Over a century ago, Charles Schwab — then president of Bethlehem Steel, one of the world’s largest steel companies — asked consultant Ivy Lee for a way to cut through the noise. Lee’s advice was deceptively simple:
- End each day by writing down six tasks for tomorrow.
- Rank them by importance.
- Start with the first and finish it before moving on.
- Carry over what’s unfinished to the next day.
That’s it. No apps. No dashboards. Just six things.
Why it works: it creates clarity, lowers the friction of starting, restores focus, and imposes healthy limits.
Schwab initially doubted it was enough. Three months later, he wrote Lee a cheque worth nearly half a million dollars in today’s terms. He had seen firsthand what I see with leadership teams all the time: simplicity scales.
But here’s the important catch… for this to stick, leaders (and their teams) need clarity on what will move them towards their north star. That means agreeing on shared accountability for the strategic focus areas that matter most.
Reflection:
🧐 Is every member of your team clear on where to focus their best energy, in support of your shared priorities and moving you towards your north star?
Sometimes the simplest routines are the ones that work.
