How to Run the Show

I came across this brilliant essay from the Emmy-winning television producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach in which he compiled his best advice for other showrunners (as in producer of a television series or movie) into 11 laws of showrunning.

Substitute the word "showrunning" for any business you're running (and substitute your product wherever he refers to "scripts") and you have a manifesto on leadership.

Here are my top takeaways:

• have a clear vision and be great at communicating it constantly to people who can execute in their field of expertise
• the vision is your responsibility, take responsibility and don't outsource it to your people
• empower people to express themselves within your vision
• paint a path to success by defining problems and/or describing desired outcomes clearly
• commit to decisions early and often to give people time to use their talents to expand upon the direction you provide
• do not demand a final product at the idea stage, trust in your people to execute on ideas and give them time to do so
• write out your vision for your business and any of its future products and publish as soon as possible
• give feedback on your people's work as soon as possible
• share your vision, be clear about what success looks like, and trust them to go out and bring it to life in your products for you
• resist spending time in the sexy glamorous parts of the business by staying focused on the vision and delegating responsibility for execution
• understand the difference between professional execution by your people and your subjective judgment of their final work
• your team has different levels of experience, so don't have the same level of expectations and be more patient as a teacher with some
• encourage and teach inexperienced people to build consensus for new ideas before they bring them to you
• if someone on your team disagrees without providing solutions, coach this behavior out as soon as possible
• make everyone responsible for the teaching of those less experienced than them
• deliver good and bad news early and often to avoid secrets and surprises
• never miss an opportunity to point out how another's work has made you look good
• never throw one of your people under the bus: what is only a marginal issue for you, can cripple the career of another

If you lead people at any capacity in your life, read the full 25-page PDF.

It is time well invested.