If there is one guiding motto in life, it is simplicity. This principle should reign supreme in all areas of life, from language, ideas to business and strategies. Yet, the irony remains that most people are attracted to complexity, thinking that simple efforts run the risk of being ridiculed as being obvious, simplistic or unoriginal. Contrary to what some may think, simplicity is hard to achieve. In fact, Karl von Clausewitz, the famous military historian, once said, "Everything is very simple in war, but the simplest thing is difficult."



In business, the most successful ideas are usually stunningly simple. In fact, simplicity is at the heart of many success stories in business. Management consultants are often guilty of clouding things with technical jargon and complex concepts. There is a tendency among business people to indulge in complicated and high-sounding buzzwords that give the impression of being smart and polished. Jack Welch, the chairman of General Electric, hit the nail on the head when he said, "Insecure managers create complexity. Real leaders don't need clutter. People must have the self-confidence to be clear, precise, to be sure that every person in their organization understands what the business is trying to achieve. You can't believe how hard it is for people to be simple, how much they fear being simple. They worry that if they're simple, people will think they're simpleminded."

The tenet that 'business is simple' is one of Welch's fundamental beliefs. After all, this is not rocket science, insisted Welch. To further his point, Welch has said that if you gave the same information to a group of business people, they would likely come up with the same answer to any problem put before them. Simplicity and informality have been constants throughout Welch's years.

Very often, the answer to improving company performance boils down to introducing simple ideas and making sure they get done. Success in business usually comes down to the ability to find a simple idea that distinguishes one from the competition. And while the idea differentiates your business from your competitor's, strategy gives wing to the idea that can make your business soar. While it is true that new ideas drive businesses, is the process of finding a new idea as complex as some have made it out to be? The simplest way to invent a new product is to borrow and adapt an existing idea.

Take for example, Papa John's Pizza, which was voted as the 'Best Pizza Chain in America' for two years running and whose simple approach to business generated almost US$900 million in annual sales. Its founder, John Schnatter, has this to say about his success, "There are no secrets to our success. It is all about better ingredients and quality and good old-fashioned hard work. The biggest thing we do differently is that we keep things simple."

Successful companies rely on simple concepts of clear focus on it core competence, do it much more efficiently than its competitors and have the right people to run the business. Remember the acronym, KISS, 'keep it simple and short'. We need to keep businesses simple and more importantly, to make it simple for the customers to do business with us.