Why Simple Wins helps leaders and their teams move beyond unproductive work by identifying and eliminating redundancies, communicating with clarity, and making simplification a habit. The book explains why change and innovation are hard to achieve due to self-created complexities like meetings, emails, and reports. By using simplicity as an operating principle, individuals and companies can focus on valuable and meaningful work, enhancing employee engagement, customer relations, and overall productivity.
In this book, Lisa Bodell argues that the structures and processes put in place to help businesses grow have become barriers to innovation. She advocates for small, positive behavioral changes that create ripple effects throughout the organization. The book encourages companies to move from a complacent culture to one that values thinking and innovation. Bodell proposes exercises such as pretending to be a competitor to identify and address weaknesses, and she emphasizes the importance of strategic imagination and soft skills in driving change. The book includes practical tools and real-life examples to help leaders and employees think innovatively and implement meaningful changes.
Ever feel like your to-do list never ends?
Running from meeting to meeting with no time to think—let alone lead or create?
You’re not alone.
The problem isn’t you – that you’re not working hard enough.
You’re probably stuck in the complexity trap—buried in endless demands, inefficiencies, and busywork that keep you (and your team) from doing what truly matters.
To help you simplify and focus on meaningful work, I sat down with Lisa Bodell, CEO of FutureThink and bestselling author of Why Simple Wins and Kill the Company.
Lisa has a clear message:
💡 The problem isn’t the people—it’s the process of the work.
In this episode, we dive into the biggest barriers to your effectiveness—what you can do to cut through the noise and create space for work that actually matters. If you’re ready to escape the complexity trap and start simplifying to make a real impact, this episode is a must-listen.
YOU’LL LEARN:
- How meetings and emails are blocking real improvement
- What defines truly meaningful work—including time to think
- The connection between innovation and simplification—and how to stay ahead of the curve
- The biggest mistakes that make simplification harder (and how to avoid them)
- The first step to simplifying your work and life
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Lisa Bodell, CEO of FutureThink and bestselling author of Kill the Company and Why Simple Wins, inspires leaders to transform work to unlock true potential and find deeper fulfillment. With her bold, no-nonsense approach to simplification, Lisa delivers radical insights and actionable tools to fuel extraordinary success.
IMPORTANT LINKS:
TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:
02:09 Why leaders feel overwhelmed—and how to fix it
03:51 The illusion of control and why organizing isn’t the same as simplifying
04:28 Why doing less can make you more valuable
05:09 The daring act of simplifying and not adding to our workload
07:26 The cost of valuing others’ time more than your own
08:27 Reframing your mindset of deep thinking time
09:31 Why we don’t do our best thinking at work
09:45 Two ways to start simplifying a chaotic workday
11:36 Why meetings with no agenda can be a time waster
12:43 How to shift your day so you’re not constantly checking emails
14:03 The definition of meaningful work
17:02 The link between innovation and simplification
18:08 3 Common pitfalls to successfully simplifying one’s work
21:19 Why one of the biggest barriers in transformation is leadership
24:08 Simplicity as it relates to tools, training, and messaging
24:45 How to apply the tool: Kill a stupid rule
28:55 Contributing meaningfully and effectively to improve your value
29:20 The future of work and how to improve work and life
32:14 The best place to start to start simplifying your life
Apply for the Nov 2025 Japan Leadership Experience - early registration rate now through May 31st!
https://kbjanderson.com/japantrip/
Chain of Learning: Empowering Continuous Improvement and Lean Change Leaders 
