Purpose. People. Process.

I'm reading "The Making of a Manager" by Julie Zhuo, and it's no wonder it was a bestseller. She writes about her challenges in becoming a manager—honest, simple, and human. You can tell she's a designer by the way her ideas are presented; the book reads smoothly.

What hit me the most was this idea: Purpose. People. Process.

Makes total sense.

Early on, I did it completely backwards. I started focusing on the process, which was tight and structured, like an instruction manual. I tried to manage with an iron fist, expecting people to do as I said and obey like robots. Big mistake. They didn't like it. I didn't like it. Nobody likes that.

It was my natural instinct as an engineer. Problem shows up, break it down, and fix it piece by piece. That's how my brain works. So when something wasn't working at Axiacore, I went straight at it.

Guess what? That didn't solve much. My team suffered. I was frustrated. Things didn't move. I was working hard and getting nowhere.

It was frustration after frustration.

Now, years later, I can clearly see why. That simple order Purpose. People. Process. Sums it up perfectly.

Purpose

Start with why. Why are we even doing this?

Without a clear purpose, you're building a house with no blueprint. I've done that before, new initiatives without alignment, just vibes. You feel the chaos immediately.

But when the purpose is clear, it's like turning on a light in a dark room. Everything gets easier. People understand the goal. Decisions align. Progress feels natural.

Whenever I skip this part, we have problems. Every time.

People

Then comes the people. Not just "do they seem smart?" but are they the right fit?

I learned about GWC from Traction, and it stuck with me. Do they Get it, do they Want it, and do they have the Capacity to do it? If any of those three are missing, no process in the world can save you.

But beyond that, are we aligned? Do we share values? Can we trust each other when things go sideways?

I used to ignore that. I thought if someone was talented, we'd figure the rest out. Wrong. Culture eats talent for breakfast.

Get the right people on the bus, and suddenly, things feel lighter. They come up with better solutions than you. You stop micromanaging. You start enjoying the ride.

Process

Only now do you touch the process.

Once the purpose is clear and the people are solid, then you write it down. Keep it simple. Keep it clear. Create SOPs for things that repeat. Use a handbook to document how things work so people aren't guessing.

The process should help people do great work—not slow them down.

Before, I tried to lead with SOPs. It was like laying down train tracks without knowing where the train was going or who was even driving it.

Takeaway

As a leader, your job is to bring clarity, not control.

Start with the Purpose. Talk about it until it's crystal clear.

Then, work on the People. Do they get it, want it, and have the capacity? Do they belong here?

And only then, focus on the Process. Make it easy to follow. Write it down. Make it better over time.

For years, I was trying to push a boulder uphill. Now it seems it's running downhill.

That's the difference.