THE POWER OF THE “CRITICALLY FEW”
1. Clarity and Simplicity: When you identify the crit- ically few, you eliminate noise. You stop confusing being busy with being productive. You work with intentionality. 2. Consistency Builds Confidence: Because lead measures are actionable and trackable, they al- low for weekly accountability. When you see your- self consistently hitting your key activities, it builds confidence, energy, and belief that the lag results will follow. 3. Greater Agility and Course Correction: Tracking lead measures provides near-instant feedback. If you’re doing the work but not seeing results, you can make adjustments now—not three months from now. This agility is one of the most powerful aspects of the 12-week system. Ultimately, focusing on the critically few lead measures is about discipline over time. It’s about taking control of your results by taking control of your actions. You can’t control the outcome, but you can control the actions that drive the outcome. Whether you’re a sales leader, agent, entrepreneur, or athlete, success lies in narrowing your focus to what matters most—and doing it with excellence, week in and week out.
In The 12 Week Year coaching program, we highlight a performance principle that transforms productivity: focusing on the “critically few” lead measures that drive your most important outcomes. At the core of this strategy is a shift away from obsessing over lag measures—like income, sales volume, or weight loss— and instead concentrating daily effort on the control- lable actions that lead to those outcomes. Lag measures, by definition, are results. They are his- torical. You can’t change them. What you can change, and what ultimately determines your success, are the behaviors that precede those results. These are known as lead measures—specific, strategic actions taken consistently. For real estate professionals, for example, a lag mea- sure might be “$10M in closed volume this quarter.” That’s the goal. But the path to that goal comes through activities like weekly client follow-ups, open houses, or outreach calls—your lead measures. When these lead activities are clearly identified and rigor- ously tracked, they create momentum. Over time, that momentum compounds into meaningful results. Execution is powered not by doing more, but by do- ing what matters most. That’s where the concept of the “critically few” comes in. Rather than getting overwhelmed by dozens of tasks, the 12 Week Year encourages individuals to pinpoint a small handful— typically 2-3 key activities per goal—that have the greatest potential to move the needle.
Bottom line: Your goals don’t create results—your ac- tions do. Focus on the few that matter most.
By Joe Stacy, Managing Director in Indiana & Head of Agent Development and Strategy
This focus offers three major benefits:
Inspired by The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran | INSiDER | 9
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