In my last post, we explored how a pyramid can break down both problems and programs of work. When we use it to investigate a problem, the next step is to validate the possible causes and decide where to focus.
But now, a new danger emerges: The Overwhelmed Leader.
When you see ten validated problems on a whiteboard, the instinct is to launch ten projects. We try to fix the pricing, the website, the staff training, and the branch hours all in the same quarter. This is how “Death by a Thousand Initiatives” happens.
If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.
One of the hardest parts of strategy is deciding which problems to address first and which to defer. Mandatory obligations and immediate risks still need attention.
To move the needle, you have to find the “lead domino.” This is the one problem in your pyramid that, if solved, makes the others easier to solve or altogether irrelevant.
I often see leaders struggle with this. They worry that if they don’t put “Improve Digital Experience” in the strategic plan, the team will think it doesn’t matter.
But here is the reality: Your team only has so much “change capacity.” If you ask them to sprint in five different directions, they’ll end up exhausted and exactly where they started.
This is where we move from Analysis (breaking things down) to Strategy (building things up).
The pyramid organized the possible causes. Investigation then established which problems were supported by evidence.
The pivot is the decision: focus discretionary improvement effort on the biggest validated leak, while maintaining essential controls and commitments.
By choosing one “lead domino,” you give your organization something people often need: Permission to Focus.