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I once had a colleague tell me about what was supposed to be the perfect Agile environment. The team had all the ceremonies down: daily stand-ups, retrospectives, sprints—the works. But what really stood out was this one peculiar rule: in meetings, whoever held the whiteboard eraser was allowed to speak. No eraser, no talking. That was the system.

It was meant to create order, ensure everyone had a chance to contribute without interruptions. A simple tool turned into a symbol of structure. But as my colleague told me the story, he didn’t laugh. He shook his head, a mix of resignation and something harder to name. “I came here to do engineering,” he said quietly. “Instead, I’m standing around waiting for my turn to hold a whiteboard eraser.”

That stuck with me—not because it’s an inherently bad idea to create speaking protocols, but because it revealed something deeper. The team had become so focused on how they were working that they’d lost sight of why they were working. The eraser had become a ritual detached from purpose. A symbol of order in a system that was no longer questioning if that order served any real goal.

And that’s where most organizations go off track. They lose sight of the big “why.”

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when complexity becomes the default

Organizations don’t start out complex. In the early days, everyone knows why they’re there. The purpose is clear because survival depends on it. But as companies grow, something shifts. Processes multiply. Meetings expand. Roles blur. Decisions slow down. Suddenly, it feels like everyone is involved in everything—not because it’s necessary, but because the system allows it, or even encourages it.

I’ve seen this play out in companies of all sizes. People aren’t burned out from the work itself. They’re burned out from navigating the system around the work. Endless status meetings, approval loops that stretch for weeks, decision-making processes designed to prevent mistakes but end up preventing progress.

This often happens because of an unspoken fear:

• Fear of missing out: so everyone is pulled into every meeting “just in case.”
• Fear of mistakes: so decisions require multiple layers of approval.
• Fear of letting go: so leaders hold on tightly, convinced oversight equals control.

But here’s the thing: complexity isn’t inevitable. It’s a design choice. And the antidote isn’t more process—it’s clarity.

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rediscovering the big why

When I work with organizations stuck in this cycle, I start with one simple question:
“Why are we doing this?”

Not in a philosophical, abstract way. I mean literally—why does this process exist? Why are these people in this meeting? Why do we need this report, this approval, this ritual?

I remember working with a company that had scaled from 50 to over 300 people in under two years. On paper, it was a success story. Revenue was up. Headcount was growing. But inside? Chaos. Decisions piled up waiting for executive sign-off. Projects stalled not because the work was hard, but because no one was sure who was supposed to make the final call. Meetings felt like a form of corporate theater—lots of discussion, very little resolution.

So, we started asking “why” for everything:

• Why does this meeting exist?
• What decision are we trying to make here?
• Who actually needs to be involved?

The answers were often vague: “Because we’ve always done it this way.” “To keep everyone in the loop.” “Just in case.”
But as we peeled back the layers, something became clear: the complexity wasn’t necessary. It was just familiar.

We didn’t fix it by adding more structure. We fixed it by removing the structures that no longer served a purpose. We cut meetings that existed only to “align” people who weren’t misaligned. We clarified decision-making authority so teams didn’t feel the need to escalate every small issue. We stopped treating every update like it required a roundtable of approvals.

And slowly, the fog lifted. Projects started moving faster—not because people worked harder, but because the system stopped getting in their way.

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clarity beats control

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is confusing control with clarity. When things feel chaotic, the instinct is to add more processes, more approvals, more oversight. But that’s like trying to fix a leaky boat by adding more buckets to catch the water. It addresses the symptoms, not the cause.

I worked with another company where decisions constantly bottlenecked at the executive level. The belief was that this ensured quality. But when we asked why, the real answer was fear—“just to be safe.” Safe from mistakes, from blame, from uncertainty. But in reality, it made the organization fragile, dependent on a handful of people to approve everything.

We changed that by designing for clarity:

• What decisions genuinely required executive input?
• What could teams own completely?
• When should something be escalated—and when should it not?

The change wasn’t dramatic. No grand speeches, no overnight transformation. Just a quiet shift. Projects moved faster. Teams felt more confident. Leadership had space to focus on strategy instead of being stuck in the weeds.

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leading like an architect, not a gatekeeper

I used to think great leaders were the ones who made the smartest decisions. Over time, I realized the best leaders are the ones who design systems where the right decisions emerge naturally. They’re not gatekeepers—they’re architects.

Leadership isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about creating an environment where people can thrive without needing constant oversight. Where decisions are made close to the work, not several layers removed. Where the “big why” is so clear that people don’t need to ask for permission—they already know the right path.

This mindset shift—from managing to architecting—is where real transformation happens. It’s not about adding more. It’s about removing what doesn’t serve the purpose anymore.

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how to start simplifying complexity

If your organization feels bloated with processes, trapped in meetings that feel more like rituals than necessities, or stuck in slow decision cycles, start here:

1. Ask ”Why” Relentlessly:
   Whether it’s a meeting, a process, or a report—what’s the purpose? If the answer isn’t clear, reconsider its value.
2. Define Decision Boundaries:
   Who makes what decisions? Where does autonomy start and stop? Unclear ownership is often the root of slow progress.
3. Audit Your Meetings:
   Which ones can be cut, combined, or restructured? Are they decision-focused or just information dumps?
4. Shift from Control to Clarity:
   Systems designed around control create bottlenecks. Systems designed around clarity create momentum.
5. Lead by Design, Not Default:
   Don’t just manage the status quo. Actively design how your organization works, communicates, and makes decisions.

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final thoughts

At the heart of every dysfunctional process, slow decision, or pointless meeting is a simple truth:
Somewhere along the way, we forgot to ask why.

Complexity isn’t the problem. Confusion is.
So, the next time you find yourself stuck in another meeting, waiting for your turn to speak—or worse, holding a whiteboard eraser like it’s a sacred artifact—pause and ask:
Why are we doing this?
And if the answer isn’t clear, maybe that’s the first thing to fix.