I’m Allergic to Processes. (#261)
The Confident Leader
BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
A struggling founder once told me: “Everyone tells me that I need to be more disciplined about creating, installing, and following processes. The problem is, I love my freedom too much. I don’t want the confinement of standard operating procedures.”
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” – Jim Rohn
This Week’s Edition
A 2022 Harvard Business Review article found that top-performing executives shared one trait: consistent execution—not charisma, boldness, or vision.
Clarify Your Thinking
This founder went on to exclaim, “Process is fine for my team if they want to do it, but I don’t want to be weighed down.” His defensive statements were a cry for help, as his business wasn’t growing, his team was unhappy, and he felt stuck.
Here’s how I helped him get unstuck
Leaders often believe a myth: “I can’t have freedom if I have a lot of processes to which I am beholden.”
The truth is: process and freedom are not enemies. They are partners.
Think of it this way: process is the engine, and freedom is the ride.
Big outcomes require structure. That structure comes from proven processes—those that have worked before and will work in the future.
When leaders reject structure (and the processes that create it), they don’t experience true freedom.
Instead, they feel stuck, lacking momentum surrounded by constant chaos, and facing employees who are unclear about their roles. This leads to declining sales, limited growth, and inconsistent team performance.
Discipline around process does not limit your freedom; it protects it.
Old Thinking:
Structure will restrict me. I need space to be my free self.
New Thinking:
Structure doesn’t box me in. It builds a runway for my best work.
Thoughts Lead to Actions
Try this shift if you’re a freedom-lover who resists process-oriented discipline:
Step 1: Start small and with the most leverage.
Step 2: Track the reps.
- Track your disciplines like reps in the gym.
- Celebrate consistency, not perfection.
Step 3: Create Fences, Not Cages
- Choose processes that guide you.
- Daily, weekly, and monthly processes can be light at first to experience the benefit.
Effective leaders don’t fight discipline.
Confident leaders use it to create more freedom.
Where there is structure there is success.
Boost Your Performance
This week’s video showcases a leader who has to have everything run through him. That’s his process. He wonders why he has no freedom.
What’s Your Opinion?
Are you wired more for structure or spontaneity? What’s one rhythm that actually works for you? I’d love to hear it: robin.pou@robinpou.com.
If you are going to be a leader, you might as well be a good one. Don’t let doubt count you out. Have a confident week!
Robin Pou, Chief Advisor and Strategist
We live to make bad leadership extinct so forward this newsletter to others who strive to be confident leaders.
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What is “The Confident Leader”?
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I began a video series called “Panic or Plan?” It was designed to equip leaders to navigate the doubt they experienced and to rise in the confidence they needed to lead during turbulent times. It took off. I then started this newsletter to equip leaders in the same fashion each week for the doubt that crashes across the bow of their leaderSHIP.
