Most people don’t lead their lives; they accept them. They move through their careers in a state of reaction—responding to emails, reacting to crises, and following whatever path of least resistance opens up in front of them. But there is a massive difference between being “busy” and being “on purpose.” If you don’t have a strategy for your life, you will likely end up as part of someone else’s.
In “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth,” John C. Maxwell introduces The Law of Design: To maximize growth, develop strategies. Good intentions are never enough. To move from where you are to where you want to be, you need a predictable, repeatable system that ensures your progress isn’t left to chance.
Maxwell defines a system as “a process for predictably achieving an objective.” Why are systems so critical for a leader?
When I work with clients to design their leadership strategy, we focus on four specific areas:
Is your life built on a blueprint or just a series of “lucky” coincidences? Score each statement using the scale below:
| Score | Description |
| 1 | Never / Not at all |
| 2 | Rarely / Needs significant work |
| 3 | Sometimes / Average |
| 4 | Often / Above average |
| 5 | Consistently / A core strength |
Your Score:
The reason most people fail to grow isn’t a lack of desire; it’s a lack of design. They hope they’ll find time to read. They hope they’ll get around to networking. They hope their team will improve. But “hope” is not a strategy. Design requires the courage to say “No” to the good things so you can say “Yes” to the strategic things.
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” — Jim Rohn (quoted by Maxwell)
I want you to pick the one area of your business or life that currently feels the most chaotic.
Action Step: Look at your to-do list for tomorrow. Circle the one item that is a “Strategic Action” (something that moves you toward your design) and do it first, before you check a single email.
Most leaders are too close to the project to see the flaws in the design. My coaching provides the “Strategic Advisor” lens you need to audit your current systems and build a roadmap that actually leads to your goals.
Click here to book a free 30-minute Discovery Call.
You have the plan, but do you have the courage to pay the price? Join me for our next post: Turning Pain into Progress | The Law of Pain.