Growth Favors the Prepared
One pattern I’ve seen repeatedly in leadership is this:
The leaders who grow consistently are not the most charismatic.
Rather, they are the most prepared.
This week I spent more time reading Chad Horenfeldt’s The Strategic Customer Success Manager, and one theme kept jumping off the page: growth requires structure.
Horenfeldt is a models guy, and for good reason. Models protect leaders who do not yet have decades of experience or a natural gift of persuasion. They simplify complex conversations and create confidence before you ever walk into the room.
That matters more than most leaders realize.
Structure Turns Conversations into Outcomes
Most meetings fail before they start.
Not because people do not care.
But because leaders walk in expecting to answer questions instead of being prepared to lead.
One of the simplest disciplines Horenfeldt teaches is asking this question before every meeting: what do I want to achieve?
That question forces clarity.
It shapes who should be in the room.
It determines the agenda.
It prevents wasted time and vague conversations.
Preparation looks like research.
Knowing the people.
Understanding the context
Reviewing history.
Writing questions in advance.
Preparing visuals so you show instead of tell.
That kind of preparation does not restrict growth – it creates it.
Models Create Confidence
When leaders lack structure, they rely on instinct.
When leaders use models, they rely on clarity.
Horenfeldt offers several frameworks that turn conversations into progress.
1. The ACE kickoff
Align on the agenda
Confirm the goal
Engage the other person by asking what they want to cover
2. OARS
Open questions that invite insight
Affirmations that encourage progress
Reflections that prove you are listening
Summaries that create shared understanding
3. SOON
Success
Obstacles
Options
Next steps
This last model does something important. It slows the conversation down just enough to move it forward. It helps people articulate what success actually looks like. It brings to the surface what is in the way. It encourages the exploration of solutions together. It forces a commitment to action before leaving the room.
Preparation Is an Act of Service
Here is the leadership shift I keep coming back to: structure is not about control. It is about care.
When you prepare, you respect people’s time.
When you bring clarity, you reduce anxiety.
When you use models, you help others think better.
Scripture reminds us that God is a God of order, not chaos (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Preparation honors that.
It creates peace.
It builds trust.
It allows growth conversations to feel safe instead of confrontational.
Leaders who engage in critical thinking can respond, rather than react.
Leaders who prepare can guide.
A Simple Challenge This Week
Before your next growth-focused conversation, I would like to challenge you to do three things:
Decide what you want to achieve.
Choose one simple framework to guide the discussion.
End the meeting with clear next steps owned by specific people.
You do not need more charisma.
You need more clarity.
Models simplify.
Preparation builds confidence. And confidence creates growth.
If this encouraged you, please forward it to a leader who desires better conversations and better outcomes.
Stay steady.
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God Bless!
~ Schuyler Williamson