I recently had the opportunity to join Anchoring Hope for a conversation that went deeper than business strategy.
We talked about something I believe is just as important as execution, discipline, and growth.
We talked about alignment.
Because after decades of leading companies, scaling organizations, and navigating crisis, I’ve learned this:
If your priorities are off, everything else will be off too.
That’s where the 80/20 principle comes in.
The 80/20 Principle Is Not Just Business — It’s Life
Most people think of the 80/20 principle as a business tool.
20% of your efforts drive 80% of your results.
That’s true.
But I don’t just apply it to business. I apply it to how I live, how I lead, and how I make decisions.
Because the real question isn’t:
Are you busy?
It’s:
Are you focused on what actually matters?
Where Leaders Get It Wrong
I see this all the time.
Leaders try to do everything.
They chase every opportunity.
They respond to every problem.
They spread their time across too many priorities.
And then they wonder why results don’t follow.
Here’s the truth:
You don’t get rewarded for doing more.
You get rewarded for doing what matters most.
Faith, Focus, and Clarity
One of the most important parts of the conversation on Anchoring Hope was this:
You have to know what anchors you.
For me, that starts with faith.
Because faith creates clarity.
And clarity allows you to apply the 80/20 principle at a deeper level.
It helps you answer questions like:
- What actually matters in the long run?
- What am I building toward?
- Where should I invest my time, energy, and leadership?
Without that foundation, the 80/20 principle becomes just another productivity tool.
With it, it becomes a decision-making system.
How I Apply 80/20 in Business
When I step into a company, I’m not trying to fix everything.
I’m trying to find the critical few.
The 20% that actually drives results.
That usually comes down to:
- The right customers
- The right products
- The right people
- The right decisions
Everything else is noise, distraction, or inefficiency.
And once you see that clearly, the job becomes simple:
Do more of what works.
Stop doing what doesn’t.
The Discipline Most People Avoid
Here’s the part people don’t like.
80/20 requires elimination.
You can’t just add more of the good stuff.
You have to remove the things that don’t matter.
That might mean:
- Walking away from customers
- Simplifying your product line
- Saying no to opportunities
- Reallocating resources
That’s not easy.
But it’s necessary.
Because growth doesn’t come from adding complexity.
It comes from removing it.
Leadership Is About Focus
At the end of the day, leadership is not about knowing everything.
It’s about focusing on the right things.
I’ve always said:
Leadership is figuring it out and getting it done.
The 80/20 principle helps you figure out:
- What matters
- What doesn’t
- Where to act
- Where to stop
And once you have that clarity, execution becomes a lot easier.
The Connection Between Faith and Execution
What stood out to me in this conversation is how closely faith and execution are connected.
Faith gives you:
- Confidence in uncertainty
- Direction when things are unclear
- Stability when everything feels chaotic
And that’s exactly what leaders need.
Because business is never predictable.
Markets shift.
Conditions change.
Challenges show up.
The leaders who succeed are the ones who stay grounded and focused.
Final Thought
If there’s one thing I would leave you with, it’s this:
You don’t need to do more.
You need to do what matters.
Focus on the 20% that drives your results.
Align your actions with your values.
And have the discipline to follow through.
That’s how you move from noise to clarity.
That’s how you lead with purpose.
And that’s how you build something that lasts.
