Before blaming your team and hiring better people: Try creating better systems, first.

If…

A client is frustrated or leaving.

A team member is confused or stuck.

A deadline gets missed or a handoff breaks down.

It’s probably not because someone is lazy or bad at their job. It’s probably because the system is outdated or broken.

As a leader I’ve lived this. I’ve caused it. And I’ve let it slide too long before finally fixing it.

The truth is that friction or loss usually comes from system failure, not from character flaws or poor intentions. Winning doesn’t care about your intentions. Clients don’t care. The market doesn’t care.

When a team doesn’t know what “next” looks like, what “correct” looks like, what “done” looks like…

When a client isn’t clear on expectations…

When deadlines feel like surprises…

When batons get dropped at key transition points…

You don’t need better or more talent. You need better systems with clear roles and expectations.

People want to win. And winning consistently means removing the guesswork.

It’s not about micromanaging. It’s about building a system where everyone knows where they’re going and how to get there.

The best relationships we have come from clear mutual expectations and visible progress. When we lead clients through an actual framework with real steps, real timeframes, and real reporting trust compounds. Collaboration thrives.

The clients who want things “quick and easy”. The ones who say “just do your thing” and resist planning or healthy communication or reporting- They feel like a dream client until there’s a challenge or misunderstanding. At that point they blame you. They are not completely wrong.

They don’t notice, care about, or work with the system when it’s working. They just assume magic, and magic always runs out.

So here’s what I’m doing this week. Feel free to join me.

I’m looking back at the moments of friction internally or externally over the last 3-6 months. I’m asking:

Where did the system fail?

What process didn’t exist?

What expectation went unsaid?

What the hell do I need to do to solve and evolve?

And I do it.

Because this is what leadership does. We can’t be reactive when things go wrong. We deal with it and then look at system; the design of what we have built or tolerated.

Then we get to work bridging the gaps, closing the loops, upgrading the system.

See you next Saturday.