Blending Leadership: Simple vs. Easy, Complex vs. Hard

Here is an exercise that can be used in many settings. I used it as part of a leadership conversation based around how leaders job is to make things 'easy' for those whom they serve. Here are some guiding principles:

• If doing anything new (or any incremental change), start with something that is both simple and easy. 
• If working with a system or process that is already simple and easy, decide if it can be automated (computers are good at simple and easy things) or if it is better to add complexity without sacrificing the ease.
• If something is simple but hard, spend effort on making that simple thing easy.
• If something is complex and hard, don't reduce the complexity. Instead reduce the difficulty.
• If something is complex and easy, it's in the right spot.