No, No, No, No, Yes, No, No, No

G*#damnit, you finally did it.

You took the red pill.

The worm has turned.

You’ve joined the club.

After months of hemming & hawing, you've assembled a dream team of ambitious talent from across the globe.

They're skilled, affordable, and eager to prove themselves.

The possibilities seem endless.

So what do you do?

If you're like most leaders, you dream big.

You craft lists of priorities that would make even the most seasoned employees’ head spin.

Seven initiatives, each promising to take your business to the next level.

You present pile of priorities to your new team, expecting awe and excitement.

Instead, you're met with... polite nods and tight smiles.

Here’s what you missed:

When everything's a priority, nothing is.

It's a common trap.

We equate "more" with "better."

More projects, more goals, more balls in the air.

It feels productive, doesn't it?

Like we're really making things happen.

But here's the truth: We're often confusing motion with progress.

Imagine handing your new superstar a to-do list that reads like War and Peace. You're not empowering them; you're drowning them in possibilities.

You’ve turned their dream job into a nightmare of competing priorities and half-finished projects.

The result?

A mile-wide puddle of mediocrity.

Here's a radical idea: What if you gave them just one thing?

One crystal-clear, game-changing priority.

And what if that was the only thing they did?

I can hear the objections already.

"But we have so many opportunities! We can’t just ignore them!"

“Is that even a full time job!”

It’s not prioritization unless you're saying no to good ideas.

I repeat.

It’s not prioritization unless you're saying no to good ideas.

We've been sold a lie.

We've been told the key to success is doing more, faster.

That the most valuable employees are those who can wear the most hats.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: Multitasking is the enemy of excellence.

When you ask someone to juggle multiple "top priorities," you're not maximizing their potential.

You're diluting it.

Imagine this: You've identified a game-changing plan.

Something that could redefine your industry, leave competitors in the dust, and set you up for years of success.

Now, how do you treat this golden opportunity?

Do you:

A) Assign it to your "best" employee, along with four other "critical priorities”?
B) Form a committee to oversee it?
C) Hand it off to a single, dedicated owner whose sole focus is bringing this vision to life?

If you chose anything but C, we need to talk.

When you give a crucial initiative a single, dedicated owner, magic happens:

• Clear vision – No competing priorities.

• Quick decisions –  No constant meetings.

• True Accountability –  Success (or failure) rests on one person.

• Deep expertise –  They become the master that project.

• Passion and Ownership –  When their identity is tied to the project, they’ll move mountains.

Remember, your new talent didn’t sign up to juggle.

They want to make an impact. Give them the gift of focus, and watch what happens:

• Confidence rises –  When everyone knows exactly what winning looks like, they go after it with energy.

• Momentum builds – Small wins compound, creating a powerful flow.

• Creative breakthroughs – No more distractions; your team has space to think deeply.

• Real results – Measuring success becomes crystal clear.

Yes, it’s risky. It feels like putting all your eggs in one basket. But F that. Just do it anyway.

It’s about fundamentally rethinking how we approach work in a global talent-rich environment.

One person. One Priority.

So, what's your company’s make-or-break initiative?

Who’s your one person ready to own it, breathe it, live it?

Sit with that discomfort. Let it percolate.

Because when you finally make that choice – when you can point to your single most important project and its dedicated owner – you'll have done more than set a priority.

You’ll have laid the foundation for getting great shit done.

The world is full of companies trying to do everything, spreading their talent thin.

Be the one brave enough to do one thing exceptionally well.

Your move.

Yallah Habibi, 

Jon 

Passage of the Week

“Everything I’ve ever done was out of fear of being mediocre.”

- Chet Atkins