Updated my "Drop and Give Me 20" exercise...
I update my "Drop and Give Me 20" thinking every so often to make sure I'm challenging myself.
If you don't know what that is, it is an exercise that David C. Baker created to help experts and consultants understand if they were really thinking differently.
Here is my latest thinking.
Tell me if I've set you off.
“Too busy for strategy?” No. You are just afraid to choose.
“Start with Why” is philosophical navel-gazing for leaders who fear making real decisions.
“Measure what matters” is often a lie. Most people measure what’s easy and call it discipline.
“Best practices” are shortcuts to average.
If your strategy doesn’t force action, it’s just performance art.
Activity masquerading as progress is the first symptom of decay.
“Everyone is doing it” is the battle cry of lazy managers, gutless employees, and consultants who have run out of ideas.
“Prices are too high” is sales code for “I’m too lazy to sell value.”
Apple’s real decay? Innovating for Wall Street, not users.
Your strategy is outdated when doing more feels safer than doing differently.
“Learn from everyone” is terrible advice. Most are wrong.
Consensus-building is cowardice dressed up as collaboration.
Plans fail because planning becomes the point.
The question leaders avoid: What must we stop to be successful?
A data-driven strategy is like driving while staring at the rearview mirror.
Strategic planning is bad performance art. Elaborate, irrelevant, and applauded by people who can’t wait to get out of the room.
Discounts are for dummies! And the leaders who let them do it.
“X% growth” isn’t a strategy. It is a CYA ritual for leaders who fear hard choices.
The best test for your strategy? What did it force you to stop doing?
“What does success look like?” is the only question that matters.
Have you ever done anything like this?
Do any of these ideas make you pause and consider your business?
Also, I’m hosting a free webinar on 10 June at 12 PM.
The announcement is below.
DW
Live Profit Intervention: Let Me Find $100K+ in Your Business—On Camera
You’ve been invited to:
Live Profit Intervention: Let Me Find $100K+ in Your Business—On Camera
Join this exclusive webinar where I’ll pick one company to diagnose LIVE—and give everyone else the blueprint to steal
✅ WATCH AS I:
Diagnose a real business’ biggest profit leak in minutes
Apply my 3-Step Profit Accelerator framework LIVE
Uncover at least $100K in hidden revenue opportunities before we finish
✅ YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH:
The exact system to monetize underutilized assets
3 actionable strategies you can implement tomorrow
Proof this works (no theory—just real results)
Last time I did this, we found a $250K upsell opportunity in 22 minutes.
🔥 SECURE YOUR SPOT NOW
Tue, Jun 10, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
We look forward to having you attend the event!