This is not that

Most business leaders I work with are genuine, honest, intelligent people, and as a result, when something goes wrong for them, it usually isn’t because they’ve made some eye-poppingly stupid decision.Almost always, it’s because they’ve made a relatively simple category error: mistaking one thing for another. Here are some of the most common category errors we make as business leaders:

A meeting isn’t a decision.
A decision isn’t an action.
An action isn’t a result.
A policy isn’t a behavior.
Instruction isn’t delegation.
A report isn’t accountability.
Accountability isn’t self-ownership.

What common category errors do you make?

Not sure? Grab a sheet of paper and jot down the last thing that didn’t work out the way you thought it might – a policy decision that didn’t ‘stick’, a strategy that didn’t work, a project that dissipated. Track back to find the point at which you believe it began to totter or fail. My guess is you’ll find a category error hiding right there – whether made by you or someone else.

What category errors do you make / see others make?

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About the Author

Les McKeown is the Founder and CEO of Predictable Success.

Les is the author of "Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization On the Growth Track - and Keeping It There". "The Synergist: How to Lead Your Team to Predictable Success", "Do Lead: Share Your Vision. Inspire Others. Achieve the Impossible" and most recently "Do Scale: A Roadmap to Building a Remarkable Company".