Episode 057: Craig Groeschel: How to Bend the Curve

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SUMMARY:

Resource management is a critical skill for leaders, and is rarely discussed. However, the best leaders know that the ability to maximize output from limited resources can be the difference between leading a struggling organization or a thriving one. In this episode, Kim Simios sits down with Craig Groeschel backstage at the 2019 Global Leadership Summit to discuss the implications of his opening talk, Bend the Curve. Craig unpacks the GETMO (Good Enough To Move On) principle and draws out application for how leaders can bend the curve in their own organizations.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• We often think for the quality to go up, the cost needs to go up. But over a period of time, there is a diminishing return on investment.
• When we bend the curve, we spend less for better results.
• Whenever we spend too much time or money on an initiative, we rob that time and energy from something else.
• As leaders, one of the most important things we do is manage resources. We should be aiming for the maximum strategic return on our resource investment.
• GETMO: Good Enough To Move On
• GETMO is the sweet spot where we’ve spent enough time to get a good return—and have not over-invested.
• GETMO is a catchy phrase that has stuck with many of the organizations I’ve worked with.
• I believe in excellence, but not excellence at any cost.
• Application: Put artificial restraints on your team and yourself.
• Example 1: I leave the office at 3:45 P.M. every day. This has produced the following results:
  • It makes me say no to things I shouldn’t be doing
  • It forces me delegate things that other people should be doing
  • It makes me more efficient—I make faster decisions
• Example 2: I finish weekend messages by noon on Wednesday the week before. This has resulted in increased emotional energy to invest in other things.
• Leaders should aim to create a culture of stewardship.
• When people know that resource management is a value, those on the front lines will often come up with the best ideas. When someone does bend the curve, celebrate and honor them.
• Catchy phrases like, “GETMO” or “Bend the Curve,” trigger a positive emotional response when people hear them from their leaders.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Think about the way you typically approach your work from a return on investment (ROI) perspective. Rate your general tendency on the graph below.

2. Reflect on your answer above.

a. Why did you answer the way you did?
b. Does your season of life, or the calendar year, affect your answer?
c. Are you tempted to spend too much or too little time on particular projects and not others?

3. Identify two ways you can create an artificial constraint and “Bend the Curve” in your work life this week.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

RELATED LINKS:

Craig Groeschel

Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast

Life.Church

Kim Simios

Ernst & Young

The Global Leadership Summit