Simple > Smart

This is the Minute Business Riff (MBR). Quick takes. Big swings. Leadership riffs you can read in less time than it takes to scroll LinkedIn aimlessly.

One minute. One idea. That’s it.

Today’s word count: 283

It took me 1 min 02s to read this.

A first-time manager I was coaching was struggling to get through to her team.

She was smart. Thoughtful. Did the work.

But when she gave direction, people looked confused.

Things moved slow. Nothing stuck.

She showed me one of her recent Slack messages.

It was a wall of text.

Three chunky paragraphs. Strategic framing. Mission alignment. Context galore.

Honestly? It read like an MBA group project.

So I asked: “What’s the one thing you actually want them to do here?”

She said: “Well, I guess… I just want them to flag any blockers before Friday.”

Cool. Then I told her to try this version instead: “Heads up - if any blockers come up drop it here before Friday. I’ll jump in where needed.”

One line. No jargon. No fluff.

She dropped it in Slack.

That afternoon, two people raised issues. One got unblocked immediately.

The other kicked off a bigger convo that probably saved a week of wasted work.

Why did it work?

Because leadership isn’t about sounding smart.

It’s about being clear.

You don’t need to impress your team. You need to guide them.

Long-winded = ignored.

Simple = actionable.

And most of the time, when people say “I didn’t know what you meant,” what they really mean is “You wrapped a basic ask in a TED Talk.”.

Tactical Takeaway:

Next time you send a message to your team - Slack, email, whatever - ask yourself:

“Could I say this in one line and make it more effective?”

Simple beats smart.

Clarity is leadership.

And your team?

They don’t need poetry. They need direction.

Think this was a banger? Think I’m full of it?

Either way, hit reply and drop some truth bombs.

I read every email 😁

Great leaders are made in minutes. Not meetings.