Think Who, not How

One of the most practical concepts I share with leaders is from Dan Sullivan's "Who not How" framework (and book by the same name).

Originally created for entrepreneurs, the principle applies to leaders in all size organizations - perhaps even more so in large, complex systems.

Senior leaders often think their job is to solve problems, create solutions and drive execution. While there is value here, the bigger question is, "how do they scale themselves?" "Who not How" provides some insights.


✅ Think WHO first

Too often, leaders get trapped in the HOW of a project, challenge, or outcome rather than focusing first on WHO (individual or team) is best positioned to own it.

This also takes leaders first into the Relationship side of the Leadership Circle (which is where their scale resides) - when often their default is to jump immediately into Task.

Review your near and mid-term objectives. Do you have a WHO strategy? If not, you're missing an opportunity to scale your impact while building engagement, ownership, and capability in your team.


✅ Let the WHO own the HOW (with clarity and accountability)

For this to work, you must let the WHO own the HOW. The leader still has a critical and ongoing role to play. They set the vision, clearly articulate the guardrails, and establish a regular rhythm of review and accountability.

Dan Sullivan uses an 'impact filter' tool that covers why the particular project or outcome is important, what the success criteria would look like and what's at stake (link in the comments below)

"Who not How" is a powerful heuristic to help leaders scale their impact - and a helpful lens for coaches to hold up when leaders find themselves habitually mired in detailed planning and execution.