How to Hack the Pareto Principle to Be a More Effective Leader

Managers are not predators. They’re prey. Eyes on the side of their head, they’re always on the lookout for problems, danger, and the biggest killer of their output: busywork. And while some of this type of work is an inevitable and unavoidable part of leadership, it can get out of control. It gets under your nails and you can’t wash the stink out of your clothes. But there is hope. <h2>Enter the Italian stallion</h2> Born in Paris in 1848, it was obvious early that Vilfredo Pareto was special. Later described as a polymath, he had a clear talent for mathematics and economics. He studied under some of the best teachers available. And through his observations of Italian wealth, he developed an idea that would later be named after him: the Pareto Principle. This idea was that 80% of Italy’s wealth was held by 20% of its citizens. But he, and others since, have recognised that this distribution applies to many things in life. This idea eventually became known as “the vital few and the trivial many” by Romanian-born American management consultant Joseph M. Juran. <h2>How this helps against busywork</h2> If we assume that 20% of your effort leads to 80% of your results, we need to ensure that 20% is as effective and as protected as possible. Most of you likely can’t remove a lot of the tasks that make up the 80%. But you can at least improve your approach to them to either save you time, save you brainpower, or remove the superfluous. <a href="https://medium.com/management-matters/how-to-hack-the-pareto-principle-to-be-a-more-effective-leader-d5aff0def775">Website</a>