The Geography of Leverage

Archimedes said, "Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world." Most people focus on the lever (effort). Strategic people focus on the place to stand (position).

In any system, there are "High Leverage Points" and "Low Leverage Points."

• Low Leverage: Arguing on Twitter, writing a complaint letter, fighting a bureaucratic form. (High effort, low result).

• High Leverage: Changing the incentive structure, owning the data bottleneck, controlling the "Translation" layer. (Low effort, high result).

If you feel exhausted, you are likely standing in a "Low Leverage" spot. Stop pushing harder. Move your feet.