Make Basics Your New Favorite

This is an overly simplified graph of how most of life goes in small snippets—a job, a project, and even sometimes a relationship. Near the beginning it’s all about growth. Yes, there will be ups and downs, but the trajectory is often positive and we feel optimistic about what’s to come.

Then something changes—either an unexpected crisis (2020?! 2021?) or we are forced to face an internal issue, such as lackluster sales, a cash flow issue or employee turnover. In a relationship, it may be as simple as a steady decline in attention that rears its ugly head in a big fight. These are the types of problems that we may have missed or that we simply chose to ignore. Regardless of being caused by external or internal forces, this is a downturn that must be addressed. (See red circle.)

What is it that great leaders do when this happens? As Kevin Costner’s character says in the film Draft Day, “No one can stop a ticking clock. But the... great ones, the great ones always find a way to slow it down”

The green circle represents the conscious changes you make and actions you take to put things back onto a positive path. Here are three real life examples and their successful outcomes.

1. Patagonia may have looked like the outward picture of success in the early 90s with 50% annual growth, but they faced serious cash flow issues due to the bank reducing their credit line and they were forced to lay off 20% of their staff. Founder and CEO, Yvon Chouinard, looked at this crisis through the eyes of a business leader, but also an environmentalist. He and his team went all the way back to the mission statement and added “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

The result? By focusing on quality over quantity and long term sustainability (in all aspects of that word), Patagonia is not only profitable, but routinely recognized as a pioneer for their environmental stewardship and progressive policies on work-life balance.

2. After being ousted from the company he founded, Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997. It’s hard to imagine now, but at that time, Apple was floundering. What was one of the first things Jobs did? He reduced the Apple product line by 70 percent. 

The result? By focusing their efforts to improve quality and innovation, Apple turned a billion dollar loss into $300 million in profit within a year.

3. Even in an acute crisis, these principles apply. In 2010, Quantas Airways flight 32 experienced a disastrous oil fire inside of the left jet that nearly tore the airplane apart over the ocean. With all the alarms going off and the plane shaking, the pilots scrambled to figure out the best way to save the plane and its passengers. 

Captain Richard Champion de Crespigny had an uncommon approach that allowed him to cut through all the noise. He asked himself “What would I do if this was a Cessna?” This allowed him to focus on the core components of the plane—fuel system, flight controls, brakes and landing gear. 

The result? The plane landed safely preserving the lives of all 469 passengers and crew on board. However, this was not the most likely outcome; most pilots who later attempted the scenario in a simulator could not recreate his miraculous landing.

These stories remind us about the power of foundational knowledge. By stripping away seemingly important technology and distractions, we can actually focus on the areas that will propel us forward. Think of these stories combining to offer a 3-step process to make a change for the better:

1. Know who you are
2. Know what you do best
3. Do what you know about what you do best

As I like to say, the magic is that there is no magic. It’s all about the basics.

------------------------ Sources ------------------------

Short versions (online articles): 

1. Prosperity with less: what would a responsible economy look like? https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/patagonia-founder-responsible-economy-with-less
2. How Steve Jobs Saved Apple https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220604
3. The Power of Mental Models: How Flight 32 Avoided Disaster https://lifehacker.com/the-power-of-mental-models-how-flight-32-avoided-disas-1765022753

Long versions (books):

1. Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
2. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
3. Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Productivity in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg