A fox caught in a trap may chew off its own paw.
The animal sacrifices the most precious thing it has for freedom.
Even if it’s just instinct, such a move earns our admiration.
The sacrifice is significant, but it makes obvious sense.
Now, imagine the fox chews off... its other paw. Nothing has changed — the will to live, the superhuman effort, the endurance of pain, and so on.
A precious sacrifice is made, but there’s no result. “Absurd!” you’d say?
Yet, this kind of thing happens all the time in business.
It's when nobody in the company looks for (or ignores) the "bottleneck".
Meanwhile, the team breaks their backs solving minor problems.
Where does this lead over time?
Wasted resources will lower profits and market value, disappoint customers, and cause competitors to start grabbing market share. The best employees will leave, driven by a sense of absurdity.
Who could have prevented this but didn’t?
The one who:
Separates the wheat from the chaff.
Sets strategic priorities.
Focuses the team's efforts on what they can't afford not to do.
A wise sacrifice for maximum freedom — that’s the CEO’s choice.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.