The Leadership Work Behind Meaningful Work

Labour Day is a useful leadership reminder.
Not only about recognising effort, but about asking what leadership is meant to do with it.

Because people are not always slowed down by lack of commitment. Often, they are slowed down by unnecessary obstacles: unclear priorities, too many approvals, decisions made too late, work getting done, but with too much friction.

And over time, that becomes expensive — in productivity, energy, ownership, and trust.

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺, instead of asking people to compensate for poor structure with more effort. 

In practice, that means three things:

1. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 tension.
So effort is not consumed by avoidable obstacles.

2. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹.
So priorities, decisions, and ownership stay coherent as the business moves.

3. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹.
So people can see direction, feel progress, and invest their energy in something that holds together.

Work will always require discipline. But it should not require unnecessary drag — or feel disconnected from purpose.

Labour Day is a good moment to ask:

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲? 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀?

Because that is usually where leadership has the most leverage.