Peter unpacks what he learned from taking a full month off (his fourth annual sabbatical) including what worked, what didn’t, and how stepping back clarified his relationship with work, team leadership, and systems.
Spoiler: nothing broke. The business ran just fine. And that’s the point.
Jon and Peter dive into how structured time off isn’t just a luxury - it’s a leadership test. It exposes whether your team and systems are truly ready to stand without you. But it also creates clarity: Over time, through his yearly retreats, Peter rediscovered the joy of meaningful work.
The second half of the conversation takes a sharp turn into business frameworks with a breakdown of the Danaher Problem Solving Process, a step-by-step method so effective it’s taught to every new employee at billion-dollar manufacturer Danaher. Jon lays out the form they now use at Sagan to rigorously define, diagnose, and permanently fix recurring business issues.
You’ll also learn how to apply a structured framework to define problems clearly, trace them to their root causes, and implement fixes that actually stick. More importantly, Jon and Peter show how to embed those solutions - through SOP updates, team communication, and accountability - so your team isn’t just reacting to surface-level symptoms or solving the same issues over and over again.
Key Topics:
(02:05) What Taking 30 Days Off Can Reveal About Your Business
(16:28) Danaher’s Problem Solving Process: A Breakdown
(23:00) The One-Page Problem-Solving Form Every Team Should Use
(31:04) Other Ways the Danaher Process Unearths Issues in Your Company
(34:08) Using AI to Coach Yourself Through GTD and EOS Workflows
(44:55) Using Claude to Build Dynamic Business Models Without Spreadsheets
Stay connected for more insights and strategies by following:
Jon: @MatznerJon on X and at lazyleverage.beehiiv.com
Peter: @pslohmann on X and at peterlohmann.com
