You can do EVERYTHING right and still fail (or everything wrong and still win).

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn used to talk about “the soil and the seed and the sunshine and the rain.”

As a big believer in the concept of mental models to help us make sense of our lives and careers, this is a powerful model I keep coming back to.

Technically speaking, we can do everything right and plant the right kind of seed in the right kind of soil at the right time of year… and nothing will grow.

We cannot guarantee that food will come from following the process. Just ask every civilization before ours what they struggled with most.

BUT, the metaphor says that IF we do the right things, a good result tends to follow.

Whether that’s marketing, thought leadership, company culture building or any other “soft” discipline, when we build the right kind of systems, good results tend to follow.

We cannot guarantee results. That’s just silly.

But to quote Westley from The Princess Bride, “anyone who says differently is selling something.”