11 Dec CEOs: What’s More Important, the HOW or the WHO?

CEOs: How often do you ask yourself WHO the person is (or people are) to take you to the next level, solve pressing problems, and execute like a champ?

I’m thinking about this after completing a recent read, Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork, co-authored by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy.

No surprise, the premise aligns with the book’s title. Sullivan and Hardy challenge the conventional approach of entrepreneurs and business leaders who often focus on “how” to achieve goals by themselves. Instead, it advocates a shift to asking “who” can help achieve these goals. 

Why Do CEOs Resist This Approach?

For some CEOs, this strategy can be a bit challenging. It often feels like everything falls on your shoulders. Any idea you have *must* be driven by you, and you alone. You can’t “trust” your team to fully execute your vision. Change management is lonely and seemingly insurmountable.

When that’s not feasible, due to time, energy, resources, or mental capacity, it can feel defeating.

Alternatively, Sullivan and Hardy’s approach emphasizes building collaborative networks, leveraging unique strengths, and engaging with others to realize shared visions.

The who-over-how method is seen as a way to gain freedom in various aspects of life—including time, money, relationships, and purpose—ultimately leading to personal growth, less procrastination, and the ability to pursue one’s dreams without being stuck in daily routines.

Sounds nice, right? 

Leaning Into a New Perspective

While the book’s description promises everything from freeing up 1,000+ hours of work that you shouldn’t be doing anyway to building a life where everything you do is your choice, I think the real foundational message is that taking this approach provides valuable perspective for CEOs and other leaders. 

That perspective is this: You really don’t have to “do it all” on your own, especially when you’re able to identify those people who are truly invested in everyone’s success and growth.

Do you have an example where you focused on the “who” instead of the “how”? Was it successful? If you haven’t looked at leadership from this lens, I can help you get started.

You can contact me here via my website or email me directly at michael@consultstraza.com.