THE ADVANTAGE: SIX TAKEAWAYS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR EDGE

Earlier this year, my husband started a new job. As a welcome gift, his new employer sent a heavy box of business books the company recommends for its new leaders. Intrigued, and in need of new pages to turn, I “borrowed” one for myself: The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni. Lencioni is probably best known for another one of his books: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. That one’s been on my list a while, but I haven’t gotten to it, yet. But, I plowed through The Advantage quickly.

That surprised me. I used to be a pretty avid reader, but my pace has slowed over the past three years with a high-energy toddler constantly on my back. It felt good to finish something again, and fast. And it got me thinking: Why was it so easy to turn the pages?

Then, it occurred to me. Because the principles in it closely mirrored my views and work principles. For the first time in a while, I read a business book that reinforced what I already believe is necessary for building strong, healthy organizations.

So, I went back to my dog-eared pages and pulled six takeaways entrepreneurs should keep in their back pocket.

Here it goes!

Takeaway #1: The financial cost of an unhealthy organization is far greater than you think

People so often underestimate the cost of dysfunction. I’ve seen it firsthand. When teams are mired in bureaucracy, misalignment or low morale, you’ll often see slow progress, high turnover and missed opportunities. These consequences are even more acute in smaller, growing teams.

So, instead of thinking:

Try:

Takeaway #2: Clarity, clarity, clarity

Ambiguity spreads quickly like a virus if you let it. Lencioni emphasizes the need to create, reinforce and overcommunicate clarity at every level of the business. Make it habitual.

That looks like:

• Cultivating a leadership team aligned on your purpose, values and objectives.

• Building a culture of trust and transparency that starts at the top and trickles down to each person.

• Clarity cascaded to every single employee, enabling them to accurately articulate the business’s “why.”

• Embedding clarity into processes—hiring, performance, rewards or other communication systems that exist—to keep everyone rowing in a similar direction toward the same north star.

Takeaway #3: Company objectives should be shared across the leadership team

Big goals shouldn’t rest on a single department, or a single leader.

Lencioni highlights a common example: A business wants to increase sales and the burden of achieving that goals rests solely on the shoulder of the revenue leader.

If you take a step back, you realize every department impacts a business’s ability to attain a revenue objective. So, those goals should have shared responsibility.

You’re a team. Operate like one and foster strong collaboration. Otherwise, no one else will.

Takeaway #4: Pay attention to results

This one sounds obvious, but Lencioni highlights how it often gets missed. Intuitively, most people understand the importance of tracking and measuring results. However, focus on core metrics can get lost, teams get distracted and then they miss the mark.

If a business rarely achieves its goals, it’s not a great team. It’s also likely not a business that’s going to find consistent and lasting success.

Leadership must be the ones to define what success looks like, relentlessly track progress and hold each other to account.

Takeaway #5: Letting go of what’s not working will create more space for what will

Keeping someone in a role when it’s clear they’re not a fit serves no one. Not the business, not the team and not the individual. Pay attention to the signals and act swiftly. Sometimes, subtraction is the unlock; not addition.

This doesn’t just apply to people. It goes for:

• Ineffective meetings.

• Outdated processes.

• Tools and tech that no longer serve you.

• …and more.

Takeaway #6: Repeat and reinforce

None of this is a check-the-box exercise or one-time event. These are ongoing processes and rituals that must be nurtured, monitored and adapted. Repetition sustains momentum through time.

Bringing everything to a head

As I wrap this and put The Advantage on the shelf for now, I feel both validated and challenged. Validated in that many of the things Lencioni outlines match my real-world experiences, reactions and views, no matter the size or stage of business. Challenged (in a good way) because I know there’s always something new to learn, or discipline to reinforce, when it comes to driving positive change and building stronger organizations.

Remember, healthy businesses don’t surface by accident. They’re built deliberately. I hope you take at least one actionable thing away from this and keep building to last.

MEET JESS RINGGENBERG, FOUNDER & CEO OF ELIXR

Small commitments; bigger impact

According to Psychologist Robert Cialdini’s Commitment and Consistency principle, we have a powerful internal drive to remain aligned with our past actions and words. When we make a decision, particularly if it’s public, we feel immense pressure to follow through.

Even if we accept that as true, have you ever noticed the anxiety, fear or overwhelm you feel when you proclaim you’re going to execute against a very large objective?

You might actually freeze instead of springing into action.

That’s why breaking those large goals into bite-sized, low-friction commitments matters. You’re still building momentum, but it feels doable and creates an environment that’s more confidence-building.

You’re creating psychological safety to take the first step. So often, that’s the only barrier you need to overcome to kick that flywheel into a higher gear.

For example:

Saying “I’ll follow up with one sales lead today” helps you take action without feeling overwhelmed by the idea of overhauling your entire pipeline at once.

It’s a small move, but it reshapes how you see yourself: As someone who says something and then executes.

SMALL BUSINESS, BIG AI: HOW SMBs ARE LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD WITH ENTERPRISE GIANTS FROM PYMNTS

TL;DR

Are you a small business owner exploring opportunities to effectively integrate AI into your operations? This article may provide a couple of new ideas. The author aims to empower SMBs to punch above their weight by leveraging the technology in smart, and cost-efficient ways.

HAPPY (EARLY) JULY 4TH. ENJOY A LONG WEEKEND.

Wishing everyone in the U.S. a restful July 4th weekend.

These holidays are opportune times for reflection, reset and rest.

I’ll be spending tomorrow with my family, hopefully hitting the pool and having a nice meal at a newly opened restaurant in Nashville. Also hoping to sneak in a 🚵‍♀️ ride and hot 🧘‍♀️ this weekend. We’ll see how that goes!

What’s one thing you’ll do for yourself this weekend?

LOOKING FOR MORE EMPOWERMENT?

You’ve worked hard to build your business. Let’s work together to make it last. We want to be your partner in the journey to develop the business that lives into your vision.

There are four primary ways Empower can partner with you to support getting your business to the next level. Click the image below to learn more about our core offerings.

If you’re ready to take the step, reach out to discuss how we can support your goals. 

If you were forwarded this newsletter and enjoyed it, I encourage you to subscribe and join the Empower community.