Takeaways
- Using a 5-step model called the Spin Launcher calls for leaders to generate, separate, evaluate, eliminate, and liberate as a way of gaining back time to focus on core tasks, according to consultant and trainer Juliet Funt.
- Evaluation is critical to determining how close a particular project or task is to the bottom line of the organization's goals.
The 2025 Global Leadership Summit session I tuned into earlier this month offered solid insights. So much so that this is the second article on the presentation given by consultant, trainer and author Juliet Funt, founder and CEO of the Juliet Funt Group. Just the title of her book, “A Minute to Think,” is certainly something that tracks with rural lifestyle dealers.
Embrace Boring to Achieve Soaring Success
“We are not infinite but the work is,” emphasizes Funt, offering what she called a critical mantra. “We have to embrace boring, those core tasks that are central and move forward with focus … that is the boring work that leads to soaring success.”
Her key message continued to focus on the concept that reductive work leads to measurable results and is built on a 5-step model called the Spin Launcher. The steps: generate, separate, evaluate, eliminate, liberate.
First, leaders are urged to gather people who want to gain back their time with any number of prompts, such as: “I wish we could stop ____.” People are encouraged to be candid with their input, as Funt urges leaders to understand the inherent value both the organization and individuals gain. She says that once you give people permission to let go, it flows. They are free to express what may be weighing them down and reducing their impact.
Another prompt is to review the entire year, what she refers to as the Seasonal Sweep. How does this help? Funt says such a review allows the calendar to remind you of where and when you are over-working something — particularly busy seasons or heavy conference/event seasons, etc. This is another approach to which I am certain dealers can relate. She also addressed the value of sub-task reduction. A CEO or executive who is not keen on reducing the number of projects on the collective list might be well served to pull out certain aspects that weigh he/she and the teams down, for example by cutting time off of meetings or bullet points off of reports, removing layers of approval — all to reduce the collective strain.
Diagnostics Reveal High-value Work
One key message Funt shared: conducting diagnostics is key.
“We (at the Julie Funt Group) think it’s tragic that so many orgs are assessing their current state just based on executive opinion or instinct or random anecdotes,” she says. “A diagnostic makes the real truth stand still.”
Her recommendation is to separate items into 2 categories (via post it note or other) to identify things you can control and things you cannot control. Evaluation is critical to determine how close a particular project or task is to the bottom line of the organization's goals, she contends.
The 4 R’s of High-value Work, according to Funt’s prescription for stronger success are: revenue, reputation, reward, readiness. Yet, she says, most leaders spend too much time in the 4 P’s: Panicking, pandering, procedure and padding.
“The reductive mindset liberates the spark and energy and talent of the people on the team,” says Funt. “It gives them more altitude.” This elimination process is fundamental to reaching goals.
The Haircut Prescription she recommends was particularly valuable. It calls for executives performing their own individual “trimming” for 1 hour each month and for teams to do trimming 3 hours per quarter. The result — as she has proven with clients and her own staff — has been crystal clear, as these combined components work to liberate executives, leaders and their teams.
In recalling her Air Force clients/friends deciding that her initiation would be taking a flight on a super sonic fighter jet, she continues to teach lessons in leadership. She explains the intense pre-flight training, including disaster preparedness training. After a harrowing flight, she closes on key points about the connection between flight and the value of focus.
“Power, lift, drag and weight are the 4 forces of flight,” she says, offering that the first 2 move you forward and upward while the latter 2 keep you motionless or sinking. She explains that the 900 mile per hour T38 talon breaks the sound barrier with less thrust than other airplanes. How? “Everything nonessential is stripped away from what is not essential to the (in this case, training) task and with nothing is left but effortless speed and climb.” That, she says, is her wish for leaders. Her closing words of wisdom which apply to ag dealers and industry leaders tracked.
“Reduce the pile, take back focus and go supersonic.”
Always eager to share enlightening messages from those committed to making businesses — and those who run them — better, here’s hoping your investment into learning ways to achieve stronger focus pays dividends.
