Clarify. Amplify. Repeat.

I suggested that you always do the number one thing. If you're a leader, your number one thing is always this:

Make sure everyone knows THEIR number one thing.

When people in your organization (and mine) don't know what to do, what do they end up doing? Usually, not much. If there are multiple options, the process often grinds to a halt. So what's a leader to do?

Clarify. Amplify. Repeat.

Something else happens, too. Sometimes people are busy. Really busy. Looking worried and carrying clipboards. But if they're not doing the number one thing, they might as well take a nap. Activity and productivity are not the same. Great leaders are constantly helping their people develop and maintain a ferocious focus on their number one thing. Maybe this should be a tatoo for leaders:

Clarify. Amplify. Repeat.