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Chapter 1: The Foundations – Hunt Like a Lion

Imagine you are on safari. The burning sun sears your skin. You are patient, but also excited. From your hideout in the bush, you are observing a pride of lions. They have spent the past few hours dozing in the sun. Suddenly, a lioness rises and the whole pride awakens. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: The pride has seen a herd of antelope wandering by in search of water. The hunt begins. While the lionesses spring into action, the pride leader continues to lie leisurely draped across his rock. You watch as the lionesses make themselves ready for the hunt, yet the lion seems to have completely different priorities…

1. Consistently Set Priorities – 3 Steps to Focused Strategy Time

Let us jump right in with a thought experiment: How can you get the contents of 3 bottles of orange juice – each holding 0.2 L – into 2 glasses at the same time when these also hold 0.2 L each?

Any good ideas?

What would your answer be?

By the way, drinking one of the bottles and then pouring the others two into the glasses doesn’t count because then the contents are not all in the glasses…

So, any ideas?

In one of my presentations, a managing director suggested, ‘I’d turn the juice into a concentrate.’ Good idea, right? He prioritized the essence of the juice, meaning that some of the H₂O is lost. An engineer had the amazing idea of grinding out the inside of the glasses. Of course, while this would allow more to fit in each glass, it would not be able to accommodate the content of all three bottles.

Finally, an assistant said quite simply, ’Well, I guess I need someone with a third glass’ Exactly. Then everything will fit into the glasses – the three glasses.

Won’t work, won’t happen! – Are you sure?

The fact is: It won’t work. You cannot fit the contents of three bottle into two glasses at the same time. It’s the same in your job, every single day. And at home too, with your dog, your hobbies, and your family. You can only ever take care of your top priorities, never do everything at once.

So, what should you do?

Of course, you know the answer to this already: Prioritize! I call it consistently prioritizing. Meaning really taking the time to do the most important things. Now, you will already know that prioritizing is essential, but the problem for many leaders is this: They know this, but they can’t do anything about it. Or perhaps we should say that they prioritize to some extent, but this doesn’t always have the desired results.

In a study by Coretelligence, in which many hundred section and department leaders were surveyed, 6 out of 10 leaders said that they had no time or not enough time for developing, strategizing, and planning. 6 out of 10! Had no time or not enough time to prioritize consistently! How about you?

Your success or your failure – according to how you prioritize them!

When you are a leader – be it section leader, CEO, entrepreneur, or team leader – then strategy and planning are THE success factors in your work. Not for your daily work, but more for the quality of your successes at work in general. Without investing this time and without these valuable thoughts, everything becomes uncoordinated, unplanned, and unattainable.

Of course, you can focus on all things important and tangible that crop up in daily operations. You can work on the difficult complaint of a long-standing client whom you know personally. You can solve the problems of your employees or run about extinguishing fires here and there. This all feels good because you are being the much-needed boss. Yes, without you, the boss, nothing would get done.

If this is the case, then in all likelihood you are neglecting your duties as a forecasting planner and thinker because there is simply not enough time in the day.

‘No time’ means ‘I am prioritizing something else’.

When I ask my audience in a leadership presentation ‘Which one of you has enough time for strategy, planning, conception?’, then out of about 100 people, between 0 and 10 will respond. That’s barely touching 10%! And more often it’s only 1 or 2 who raise their arm. In other words, each leader may know the principle of prioritizing – and indeed every leader does – yet most are unable to find enough time for the one success factor that is the most important in the long term. This lack of well-thought-out conception and planning in times of change is deadly for many organizations. You know this too, right?

Not planning strategically is like smoking – deadly!

It’s like smoking. Peter, a friend of mine who is also a founder, owner, and CEO of a very successful firm with 50 employees, has been smoking for decades. His doctor showed him the negative effects on his x-ray, and yet he continues to smoke. Sure, it’s only 8 or 9 cigarettes a day now, but he still knows that this burden will cost him five years of his life.

I consider this stupid – for a variety of reasons: First, I like Peter a lot and so I would prefer him not to die just yet. Second, many people like him as a business partner, a boss, a poker player, a friend, and a life partner. Third, the harm of smoking far outweighs any joy he is getting out of it now. And this last reason also forms my hypothesis.

If you as a leader are prioritizing daily operations over regular strategy meetings with your team or by yourself, then – just like with my friend Peter and other smokers – you are risking the life of your business.

Do you want to win? Or do you just want to not lose today?

How well do you want to do your job? 75% or 90-100%? Okay, 100% is a bit ambitious, but we should at least see how close we can get, don’t you think? I am certain that if you want to hit 90%, then you MUST have enough time for strategy, conception, planning. Period.

You probably knew all this before you started this chapter. But, if you are anything like most other leaders, then you won’t do it. Even though you know it.

Hunt like a lion

Okay, so you want to know how you can go about it? Easy: Hunt like a lion. Yes, because the lion does not hunt alone…No, wait a moment. That’s not right. Which members of the pride are responsible for the actual hunt? Yes, most of you will know that it is the lionesses who hunt. This existentially important job of feeding the whole pride has been delegated by the lion. This is a clever bit of letting go. The lionesses are a bit leaner and a lot lighter, meaning they are more agile than the lion and can better keep up with the zigzagging of the antelope. They are simply the better hunter.

The pride leader is focused for he has other tasks that he takes care of personally…He must protect the pride’s territory from other prides. THAT is his task. THAT is in his job description. The lion makes sure that the pride even has a territory in which it can hunt.

For this task, he even puts his life on the line.

Some daily motivation for your desk

So, all you leaders out there, hunt like a lion. This also counts for female leaders, of course, for they are the lion, the leader of the pride. Use this link https://bit.ly/30CnTET to download a PDF of my Lead Like a Lion postcard. Print it out and put it on your desk – it will remind you every day to consistently set priorities.

And of course, besides strategy, you can also focus on any other task that currently requires your attention. Finishing off this chapter is my priority for today, which is why I sat down at my desk at 8: 10 am to write…before doing any other task of the day.

Tip for implementation: Tackle your most important task of the day first thing in the morning. Before you have read your emails or engaged in similar distractions. Perhaps even before you go to the office. It is often difficult to find a calm opportunity once the chaos of everyday life gets going.

Setting priorities in three steps

So how can you do this exactly? How can you find time for strategy and conception?

Step 1:

Ask yourself: How much time do you need per day, per week, per month, per quarter, per year for strategy, planning, and conception?

Step 2:

Schedule this time in your calendar, e.g., every Thursday from 7 am to 8 am or every first Thursday in the month from 7 to 11 am. Set a permanent series of appointments for the next ten years. You can adapt this schedule to your actual needs.

Step 3:

Turn these strategy meetings into a routine – a ritual if you like – that you do regularly, every week, every quarter, every year, according to your needs. It’s like brushing your teeth. You never forgo brushing your teeth because you need to call a plumber because of a broken pipe! You always brush your teeth before going to bed! If you can do it for brushing your teeth, then you can also do it for planning and scheduling time for strategizing.

With these three steps, you can hunt like a lion and focus on those issues that are the most important for you. Are you disappointed because you would rather do every single little thing yourself? Well, then you had better read the beginning of this chapter again, with the example of the three bottles of orange juice and the two glasses.

Distractions happen

‘What should I do?’ a leader asked last week during leadership training. ‘My office has a huge glass wall. Everyone can see that I’m at my desk. I am constantly being interrupted.’

Are you creating or are you just reacting?

Where there’s a will, there’s a way! A café on the way to work. A meeting room. Scheduled appointments or set times in which you commit to doing only quiet, concentrated work. This is all down to your organization and leadership.

For me, it’s the kitchen. Several times a week, actually almost every day, I sit at my kitchen table for one task, to which I devote my full concentration. And then I sit on the train on the way to meet clients and think. My phone is in flight mode. The Wi-Fi is off. Or sometimes in the morning, still in bed, with a pen and paper. It doesn’t matter where, what matters is your attitude.

Routines create success. What routines enable you to regularly do your thinking, your deep work, your highly concentrated work? This is the basis for your success as a leader.

By doing this, you will immediately belong to those who answer the question ‘Do you have enough time for strategy, planning, and conception?’ with a resounding ‘Yes! I do because I hunt like a lion! I have someone else do the hunting and I focus on the essentials.’ Be proud of this new ability because most leaders cannot do this. Thus, you will have created the basis for doing your job 90-100%.

Doing or not doing?

You now have a simpler, safer way to effectively set priorities. If you have not done this within the next five working days, then read this chapter again. Or listen to Episode 1 of my German podcast Führen wie ein Löwe. Perhaps you need another push in the right direction.

And if you need a sure-fire tip to sharpen your discipline in terms of putting things into practice, then read the Establishing New Habits section in the last chapter of this book.

Want to practice more successful delegating and focusing? Then I recommend my book Letting Go for Leaders, which was awarded Trainer Book of the Year. Anyone who wants to intensify their ability to concentrate deeply and focus on work should also dive into Cal Newport’s’ Deep Work – an excellent book.

2. Shaping Change through Your Leadership – 3 Challenges

What is your job as a leader? What does leading mean in times of constant change? Above all else, digitalization means change. Transformation. Reconstruction. Because the markets are developing faster than they ever have. And things are only going to speed up, never slow down.

How do these changes work?

When studying for my business degree in the ‘90s, I learned about the Austrian national economist Joseph Schumpeter (1883-1950), who coined the phrase ‘creative destruction’. We used to joke ‘Schumpeter lives’ as the Schumpetric spirit still touches us decades later. Technological advances and innovation go hand in hand with the destruction of old structures that no longer fit.

What has happened in the last 20 years? Where we once had to worry about being pushed out of the market by direct competition, change and competition now come from all directions.

The most prominent developments:

• Airbnb, which is taking millions of guests from the hotel sector every year.

• Uber, which is not a taxi firm.

• The electric cars of Deutsche Post. Deutsche Post ended up developing and building its own model because car manufacturers were not fast or flexible enough.

We now take these things for granted, but no one would have believed in this future 20 years ago. And we could lament about how helpless we are because we have so little influence on these seismic changes. Not every leader is an entrepreneur or CEO who could have made decisions with such a far-reaching impact. Nevertheless, we stand at the center of these changes. The demands of all sectors are changing.

Structures are changing. The needs of your external customers are changing.

A question to you as a leader is this: ‘What are you shaping?’

Many leaders say: ‘I am happy if I can get by with a reasonable amount of overtime and if my email inbox is not overflowing. How am I supposed to find time to shape anything?’ Yes, you could see it like that. But this sort of thinking is not enough for truly good leadership.

The three great challenges – concerning shaping an attractive environment for current and future team members – for leaders are:

1. Keep good employees. What are you as the leader doing to keep good people on your side? What are you doing to make sure that they are not tempted by the attractive offers of other companies?

2. Create an environment in which your employees are happy to put in all their energy. This includes empowering your employees to take on the challenges brought about by change.

3. Finding good employees. This is not solely the job of the HR department. What is your personal contribution to making your team and your department more attractive, for both external and internal applicants?

How to lead yourself and your employees with excellence is the focus of this book. How do you shape your daily work so that you fulfill all three tasks with brilliance? Because if you tackle the constant change with plenty of good energy and side by side with your employees, then you are on the right track towards a successful business.

Your attitude decides

Not only your methods but also your mindset and your attitude are crucial. Do you take on the challenge and the daily task of leading your employees as your very own? Or do feel that they hassle you with constant questions and consultations? If you want to be a leader, then this includes wanting to lead your people, wanting to spend time with them in order to make them better. This job is not taken over by the monthly salary transfers or bonus payments your employees receive.

Invest time and effort in careful employee leadership

Do you take responsibility for the mood of your team? You are the leader, so you are the organizational representative from your employees’ point of view. So, create an environment in which your employees are happy to come in each day and put their shoulder to the wheel.

How should you do this? It looks like a huge mountain to climb, and it is certainly difficult in the beginning. We don’t know what will happen. But, guess what? It keeps on getting better and better! The first episode of my podcast Lead Like a Lion was difficult. Composing and recording a jingle, finding a speaker, choosing the technique, finding technical support, using an editing program.but now it’s great fun. Is it fun every time? No, not every time. But every time I write – like I am doing right now – I love it. But to get to this point, I had to pass through a tough phase of trial and error.

And: You can consider ‘shaping the change’ as another difficult item on your to-do list. But you could also discover that shaping things can be fun. You are a leader. Do you want to influence things? Do you want to lead? Or do you just want the title? If you just think that the title sounds nice, then you better step aside and let someone who really wants to lead have a go – with all the consequences.

If you want to be a leader, then you should be able to enjoy shaping. Then you can confront the challenges. Crawl out of your ‘I still have to’ ditch and into the freedom of ‘I want to’. In the following chapters, you will find practical tips on how to do just this.

Collect clear ideas on what you want. Then prioritize, and then act. With passion. With joy. With temporary setbacks. And always success – step by step!