Leverage

How and when to use this phase

This phase should be revisited every 90 days as part of a quarterly review. Schedule a dedicated review before expanding scope, adding products, or increasing team size.

This phase should be revisited:

• quarterly

• before hiring additional team members

• when the founder becomes a bottleneck

• when the workload grows faster than results

• when decisions are repeatedly returning to the founder

Step by step process:

Step 1: Map Current Work

List the activities currently consuming the majority of time across the business. This creates a clear picture of how effort is currently distributed.

Focus on:

• recurring tasks

• operational responsibilities

• decision points

Output:
A map of where work, time and attention are being spent.

Step 2: Identify Leverage Opportunities

Review the map and identify where leverage could reduce effort. Not every task needs optimisation. Focus on the few areas where improvement would have the greatest impact.

Look for:

• repetitive tasks

• unnecessary founder involvement

• slow decision processes

• operational bottlenecks

Output:
A short list of leverage opportunities.

Step 3: Determine the Leverage Type

Each opportunity usually falls into one of three categories:

Simplify
Reduce complexity.

Systemise
Create repeatable processes or tools.

Delegate
Transfer ownership to another person or role.

Output:
A clear leverage strategy for each opportunity.

Step 4: Remove Founder Bottlenecks

The goal is not removal of oversight, but removal of dependency. Where the founder is acting as a gatekeeper, introduce:

• decision rules

• documentation

• ownership clarity

Output:
Reduced decision load for the founder.

Step 5: Build the Leverage Plan

Document the key leverage points and the actions required. Focus on a small number of changes that will reduce effort.

Tool used: Leverage Audit

Step 6: Review Before Expanding

Often leverage exists in refining what already exists. Before adding new initiatives, ask:

• Have existing processes been simplified?

• Are systems already in place being fully used?

• Is additional effort or resource actually required?