10% Better, 30% Worse

Somebody somewhere once said that a good Coach / Executive / Leader makes things 10% better than a baseline. Meanwhile, a poor Coach / Executive / Leader makes things 30% worse.

I'll bet you've experienced this phenomenon.

I recall being in a meeting where the CEO made an employee cry. I went into the bathroom just to get away from the dysfunction, but the CEO followed me in, and that's where he shared stuff that would have made the entire room cry.

That business did not perform well. The CEO was a -30% Leader. He didn't have the ability to recognize it.

I have a client where the CEO/Owner is a +10% Leader. He hires good people, kind people, and he allows them to make decisions. This business messes up ... every 18-24 months they revert back to old behaviors, but the CEO nudges the brand back in a positive direction. They're not perfect. But they're 10% ahead of everybody else, and the interest in his investment compounds over time. It's a really, really good company.

I thought about the concept (I'm writing this on Monday night) after watching the USMNT lose to Uruguay. Here's a collective group that should perform better, and just ... doesn't. Outsiders can usually see the -30% in action ... if you are on the inside, you're working too hard to know if you are a -30% Leader or a +10% Leader.

Tomorrow is July 4 ... if your boss is encouraging you to put in some extra time on July 4, you might be working for a -30% Leader.