Why This Law Exists
High standards are essential, but expectations do not create skill, authority, capacity, information, technology, process clarity, or leadership support. When the required capability is missing, increased pressure produces workarounds, burnout, error, risk, and temporary compliance.
Executive Standard
Build a reasonable path to success before raising the bar. Capability includes knowledge, skills, tools, technology, data, processes, authority, capacity, resources, coaching, leadership support, and cross-functional coordination.
Required Leadership Behaviors
- Assess current capability honestly before committing to a new target or operating model.
- Separate unwillingness from inability and system constraint from individual performance.
- Build, test, and prove capability before removing supporting capacity.
- Raise expectations as capability becomes repeatable and sustainable.
Evidence of Maturity
- New expectations are supported by validated readiness criteria.
- Decision authority matches accountability.
- Training is reinforced by tools, process, coaching, and operating support.
- Performance can be sustained without extraordinary intervention.
Failure Signals
Targets rise faster than capability; leaders blame execution for design gaps; capacity is removed before replacement capability stabilizes; employees become permanent workarounds.
Executive Reflection