Work “ON” the Business: How Strategic Focus Fuels Resilience and Growth
Too many leaders are stuck in an overwhelming cycle of urgent tasks, reactive meetings, and constant firefighting.
They know their organizations need to adapt, innovate, and grow, but every week slips by without time to think, plan, or focus on what truly moves the needle.
There is often ample ambition and plenty of creative ideas. But many teams lack the right balance of structure to work on their work. And this balance is critical for
creating stability and from there, excellence, growth, and performance. Improvement doesn’t just happen spontaneously; it is something that requires work and discipline.
What Does It Mean to Work “On” vs. “In” the Business?
Let’s break it down:
-Working in the business means staying focused on operations: managing teams, solving problems, answering emails, fulfilling customer needs. It’s essential work, but it’s reactive by nature.
-Working on the business means stepping back to think strategically: setting direction, improving processes, developing people, and creating systems that build future value.
Unfortunately, most organizations are skewed heavily toward in the business work, even at the executive level. A recent Work Excellence assessment showed there is a large variability in how senior leaders spend their time. For example, within the same organization one leader spends 2% of their time on the business, while another spends 20%.
Through some other research we did, people anecdotally estimate 10% on the business, others who are focused more on scaling report numbers closer to 40%.
On the business work is not only important for scaling and growing the business but improving stability and efficiency in daily operations and cultivating a strong culture.
The Tension CEOs and Executives Face
Every executive knows the feeling: you intend to focus on strategy, but then the day floods in—a client project goes off track or your operations lead needs urgent support, and you’re pulled into back-to-back meetings just to keep things moving. Suddenly, there’s no room for vision or innovation.
Common challenges we hear include:
- “I’m constantly pulled into daily operations.”
- “We’re good at planning, but struggle to execute.”
- “My team is overwhelmed, and we’re not seeing real change.”
- “We can’t afford to keep doing things the same way.”
These are signs that your structure is out of balance, either too rigid, keeping leaders stuck in the business handling day-to-day tasks, or too loose, making it difficult to focus on the business with clear strategy, ownership, and follow-through.
Why the Balance Matters
Organizations that only focus on day-to-day execution fall behind. They become rigid, reactive, and unable to find stability amidst constant change.
By contrast, organizations that intentionally build in time to work on the business see:
✅ Greater innovation
✅ Stronger alignment and consistency across teams
✅ Faster, more strategic decision-making
✅ Measurable improvements in ROI, engagement, and capacity
The Shift Starts with Structure
Working on the business isn’t about adding more to your plate but about creating space for high-value thinking. It requires discipline, stable routines, and the right frameworks to guide progress.
That’s where the Work Excellence Method comes in.
Over 20 years, we’ve helped organizations embed strategic focus into their operations without needing to pause their daily work.
The Work Excellence Approach: Making Strategy Practical
Here’s how it works:
1. A Framework That Creates Visibility
Our signature 4 core elements (laid out in a one-page format) makes the invisible visible. They clarify how work flows, where value is created, and where friction exists. Instead of relying on intuition alone, leaders gain a shared line of sight into operations, priorities, and obstacles.
2. Routines Build Strategic Muscle
We embed structured routines, weekly reviews, monthly planning sessions, improvement cycles, that bring consistent rhythm to strategic thinking. These routines strengthen daily operations.
3. Improvement Becomes Continuous
Instead of one-off change efforts, organizations build a culture of small, frequent improvements. That momentum compounds, driving measurable gains in speed, cost savings, and resilience.
4. Leadership Capacity Expands
This method provides the structure for willing leaders to coach, align, and lead with stability and strength through change. This unlocks a multiplier effect: stronger teams, faster execution, and sustained results.
Willing Leaders Make the Difference
Our experience shows that transformation hinges on leadership willingness.
- Willing leaders invest in coaching, adopt visual tools, and champion improvement efforts. They’re not perfect, but they’re committed. And they model the behaviors that create lasting change.
- Unwilling leaders, on the other hand, often resist routines, dismiss new approaches, and default to operational firefighting. Their skepticism slows or blocks momentum.
Real transformation starts with leadership. Take a moment to reflect: who on your team is making space to work on the business—leaning into change, modeling new routines, and guiding others forward? And who is still caught working in the business—overwhelmed by daily demands or hesitant to shift their approach Recognizing both is essential. Empower your willing leaders and help others build the clarity and confidence they need to grow into the work.
So Where Do You Start?
Start with one hour per week. Protect time for strategic thinking for real on the business work.
You don’t need to wait for the next off-site or annual retreat. You need a consistent rhythm of reflection, improvement, and action that ties into your daily operations.
Here’s How:
5 Practical Strategies to Work On the Business
1. Formalize Time for Strategy
Set up weekly or biweekly sessions focused solely on strategy and improvement – not reporting.
2. Delegate to Empower
Free up leadership capacity by empowering capable middle managers to own operational oversight.
3. Use Visual Tools
Adopt frameworks that simplify complexity and make work visible at every level.
4. Embed Routine
Use structured check-ins and improvement cycles to drive consistency, not chaos.
5. Coach for Culture
Develop leadership mindsets that value strategic work – and reward innovation and ownership.
Ready to Step Out of the Firefight?
If you’re tired of spinning in operations and ready to build a more resilient, aligned, and forward-focused organization, the shift starts here.
Let’s talk about how you and your team can build momentum, reduce chaos, and finally work on the business in a way that creates lasting value.
Connect with us to start the conversation or learn more about the Work Excellence Method.