TLPMM009: Clarity: Business Wisdom to Work Less and Achieve More with Jim Vaselopulos

Jim Vaselopulos, the founder of Rafti Advisors,  is a C-level business advisor and executive coach with a proven record as a leader, strategist, rainmaker, and expert in new business development. Jim discusses his upcoming book “Clarity: Business Wisdom to Work Less and Achieve More”. He stresses the importance of clarity in business, drawing parallels with wisdom and emphasizing simplicity and focus. He covers common symptoms of a lack of clarity, including excessive busyness. Jim and Jan also explore the challenges of using tests for complex business problems and highlight curiosity as a key tool. They discuss Jim's use of fictional stories to engage readers. The conversation shifts to accountability, workplace busyness, and delegation. Jim and Jan address workplace betrayal, and share personal experiences. They discuss the balance between simplicity and complexity, and share a parenting lesson relevant to business problem-solving.    Key Takeaways [01:26] Jan interviews Jim, and this episode centers on Jim's book theme: clarity. Their sponsor, Paul Darley, praises Jim's upcoming book for its ability to capture the emotions of business leaders. They discuss how clarity results from focusing on what truly matters and how it can lead to lower stress and better results. Jim draws parallels between wisdom and clarity, emphasizing the importance of simplicity and focus in both sports coaching and business.  [06:32] Jim discusses ten common symptoms that point to a lack of clarity, including issues like accountability, agency, and being constantly busy. When asked which symptom is most common, Jim compares these symptoms to fever and explains that being excessively busy is a pervasive issue, often linked to a lack of agency.  [08:00] Jim and Jan explore the challenges of using tests to uncover core business issues. They highlight that business problems are intricate, influenced by factors like people and context, making simple tests impractical. They stress the significance of curiosity and asking questions to gain a profound understanding of problems, much like how doctors diagnose illnesses. [11:54] Jan inquired about Jim's use of fictional stories in his book. Jim explains that stories are a great way to convey information and resonate with people. They discuss how stories are memorable and touch on the impact of emotionally charged narratives, particularly those involving children. The conversation then transitions to the topic of accountability, where Jim talks about how accountability issues can manifest at individual, team, and organizational levels. They mention that such issues often involve judgment, trust, and fairness. Jim and Jan emphasize the importance of addressing these issues effectively to prevent conflicts and team breakdowns.  [13:32] Jim and Jan tackle the issue of workplace busyness and its impact on employee engagement. They ponder why busy leaders coexist with disengaged employees, questioning whether busyness is a choice or a necessity. Jim suggests that people may naturally prefer busyness for various reasons, including societal influences. The conversation then shifts to the topic of delegation, with Jim highlighting common mistakes. They stress the importance of equipping individuals with the right skills, resources, and time when assigning tasks. They point out that delegation is often misunderstood as simply passing responsibility, which can lead to inefficiencies and frustration. [22:01] Jim and Jan delve into the topic of workplace betrayal and its repercussions. They draw from their personal experiences to shed light on trust-related challenges that often arise in delegation and teamwork. Jim narrates an incident from his early career where trust was eroded, resulting in difficult choices and significant takeaways.  [24:42] Jim discusses the balance between simplicity and complexity. He talks about how people naturally prefer straightforward and concise solutions but live in a complex world. Jim shares insights from his book, "Clarity," highlighting the need to recognize and focus on what truly matters while navigating the intricate aspects of life and work. He emphasizes that while understanding complex issues may require a nuanced approach, practical execution often demands clear and precise strategies. [26:12] Jim shares a parenting lesson that applies to business problem-solving. He talks about finding a lost toy by instructing his children to put away everything except the lost toy. This story highlights the concept of focusing on what the problem is, to make it more manageable. Jim mentions his upcoming book "Clarity" launching on October 18th.  [29:44] Closing quote: And remember, the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. — Plutarch   Quotable Quotes “Clarity evokes a calm and focused state of mind with lower stress and diminished anxiety over what to do next." "The reason people fight and have conflict is it all starts with disrespect." "It's that curiosity that drives you to real solutions. And in the grand scheme of things, I think that's really what we want to go for." "At an individual level, a lot of times we imagine ourselves to be either more responsible for something or if something went bad, I'll take all the blame for this and I kind of martyr myself in that realm." "Curiosity drives you to real solutions. When you're dealing with a business problem, you're saying, like, hey, there are some facts. But then I want to kind of listen to the stories, the narratives people are putting together. And if they don't jive, if they don't match, something's wrong. And you can't just let it be wrong. You got to be curious. You got to dig deeper." "We like stories, and I think that's just a better way to learn." "Conflict starts with disrespect." "I think the Gallup poll is probably true, I believe that 100%. It's not because they're managing time poorly. It's because we're motivating them poorly." "Most people do delegation so incredibly wrong. It's tragic because we look at it as like, 'Well, I'm just going to have this person who's been around. They're going to do it now.' And I think one, someone's got to be capable. They have to be trained and capable of doing it." "We as humans prefer simplicity. We like clean things, we like simple things. But we live in a complex world. And if you live in a complex world and you try to make everything too simple, it just doesn't work."   Here are the books mentioned in this episode   Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | Sponsored by | Rafti Advisors. LLC | Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | Jim Vaselopulos Website | Jim Vaselopulos LinkedIn | Jim Vaselopulos Twitter |