As an ED, my biggest mistake was thinking too small.
I thought to get to the next level, I had to grind harder, sacrifice more, spend more hours working.
Now, I realize that the mistake I made was playing a 2x game when I should have been playing a 10x game.
10x is easier than 2x.
We all know the 80/20 rule where 20% of your effort produces 80% of your result. As EDs, we’re so busy doing that we’re not actually being surgical about which 20% is the most impactful. When we’re playing a 10x game, we’re letting go of 80% of the distraction that is producing nominal results and focusing only on the 20%. But, it requires change and change can be scary. Here are the areas to consider when trying to go exponential.
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If you like this, there are two ways to work with me:
2x requires you to take on more. 10x requires you to let go.
We all know the 80/20 rule where 20% of your effort produces 80% of your result. As EDs, we’re so busy doing that we’re not actually being surgical about which 20% is the most impactful. When we’re playing a 10x game, we’re letting go of 80% of the distraction that is producing nominal results and focusing only on the 20%. But, it requires change and change can be scary. Here are the areas to consider when trying to go exponential.
#1. Retrain your mind from scarcity to abundance.
When you’re playing a 2x game, you’re constantly in competitive mode for time and resources. When you realize that there is more than enough out there for you, and that you go from desperate and needing to confident and attracting, the world is your oyster. -Become aware of your thought. Where your attention goes, your energy flows and results show. -Be aware of your words. Are you speaking words of scarcity (“We can’t afford that”) or words of abundance (“What would it take for us to get that resource?”) -Be aware of your actions. Are you thinking about money as a tool for exponential growth or do you spend time nickel and diming?#2. Get clear
There are many ways to 2x and only a few ways to 10x. Get honest with yourself about what strategies it will take to 10x. This can include: -Focusing on your top 10% of donors and stopping activities that aren’t generating revenue (i.e. annual golf outing anyone?) -Upgrading your team. Truth be told, we know that there are usually a few people on our staff and board who are A players who can play a 10x game. When we’re 10xing, we don’t have the luxury of dead weight. If we hire the right Whos we don’t have to worry about the Hows. -Focusing on quality over quantity. The more you are relentless about the quality of the work you are delivering and the impact you are making, the more you can go exponential.#3. Reflect
Part of going 10x is an inside job. When we’re comparing ourselves to some platonic ideal or some other org, we’ll also come up short. Instead, compare yourself to yourself. -When are the times in your life that you have gone 10x? Reflect on what you did, what you gave up and what you learned. -What are you uniquely good at and positioned to do? Be relentless about delegating, eliminating or automating anything that falls outside of your Unique Ability (i.e. data entry). -Self-manage. On a daily basis, are you doing 2x or 10x activities? Are you talking to stakeholders about a 10x vision or a 2x one? How are you holding yourself accountable? If I had known all of this before, I would have saved myself years of toil by upgrading my mental model and building for 10x instead of 2x. 2x is where everyone else is playing. Have the courage to go 10x. 10x is where big impact and freedom live.———————————————-
If you like this, there are two ways to work with me:
- If you are a leader of a small nonprofit that needs to get clear on strategy and systems, check out Fund Your Strategic Vision. This is best suited to organizations from start-up to under $1M.
- If you’re $1M+ and ready to get your major gift program underway, I’m accepting applications now for my Fundraising Accelerator starting September 15. Applications are due July 14 and the group is capped..
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