The Flywheel Concept: Beyond Business Strategy
Jim Collins introduced the flywheel concept in “Good to Great” as a business strategy metaphor, but its principles apply powerfully to leadership development. A flywheel—a heavy wheel that takes tremendous effort to push initially but builds momentum with each consistent push—perfectly illustrates how leadership influence compounds over time.
“Good to great comes about by a cumulative process—step by step, action by action, decision by decision, turn by turn of the flywheel—that adds up to sustained and spectacular results.” — Jim Collins
For leaders, this means understanding that transformation doesn’t happen through single heroic acts or grand initiatives. Instead, it’s the consistent application of the right behaviors, creating small wins that build belief, which fuels more action—creating a self-reinforcing cycle of momentum.
Breaking Down the Leadership Flywheel Cycle
Action
The cycle begins with deliberate, focused action aligned with your leadership values and vision. These actions must be consistent and visible to create credibility.
Results
Small wins accumulate, creating tangible evidence that your approach works. These results become proof points that validate your leadership direction.
Belief
As results materialize, belief grows—both your self-belief and your team’s confidence in your leadership. This belief energizes further action and commitment.
The beauty of the flywheel is that each turn gets easier as momentum builds.
A Leadership Flywheel Example: Building Team Trust
The Trust Flywheel
Initial Actions:
- Consistently honor commitments, no matter how small
- Practice radical transparency in communication
- Demonstrate vulnerability by admitting mistakes
- Recognize team contributions publicly
First Results:
- Team members begin sharing ideas more openly
- Minor conflicts are resolved more constructively
- Small improvements in meeting engagement
Building Belief:
- Team recognizes the value of psychological safety
- Members begin modeling similar behaviors
- Confidence grows in addressing complex issues
Accelerating Momentum:
- Deeper collaboration emerges naturally
- Innovation increases as risk-taking is normalized
- Team resilience strengthens during challenges
- Trust becomes self-reinforcing cultural norm
What starts as deliberate trust-building behaviors eventually transforms into a high-trust culture that operates with less direct effort from the leader. The flywheel gains its own momentum.
Habits That Compound Leadership Influence
Certain leadership habits act as powerful accelerants to your flywheel, creating disproportionate returns when practiced consistently:
Daily Habits
- Active listening: Giving full attention without planning responses
- Recognition: Acknowledging specific contributions
- Reflection: Dedicated time to process lessons learned
- Curiosity: Asking questions that challenge assumptions
- Follow-through: Doing what you say you’ll do, every time
Weekly Habits
- Feedback exchanges: Both giving and soliciting
- Team connection: Non-transactional check-ins
- Progress review: Celebrating small wins visibly
- Barrier removal: Eliminating one team obstacle
- Learning: Sharing insights from reading/experiences
Small Wins That Build Momentum
The most effective leadership flywheels focus on wins that are:
- Visible: Can be observed by the team and stakeholders
- Meaningful: Connect to values and larger purpose
- Achievable: Realistic within current constraints
- Measurable: Progress can be tracked objectively
- Repeatable: Can be systematized for consistency
Tracking Your Momentum
To maintain and accelerate your leadership flywheel, you need visibility into its momentum. Consider these tracking approaches:
KPI Dashboard
Track quantitative measures that reflect your leadership impact:
- Team engagement scores
- Retention rates
- Innovation metrics
- Feedback implementation rate
- Decision-making velocity
Leadership Journal
Maintain a structured reflection practice:
- Weekly wins and challenges
- Emerging patterns and insights
- Energy levels and focus areas
- Team dynamics observations
- Personal growth moments
Feedback Loops
Establish regular input channels:
- Anonymous pulse surveys
- Structured 1:1 questions
- After-action reviews
- Peer leadership circles
- Mentor/coach insights
Flywheel Killers: What Stops Momentum
Even powerful flywheels can stall. Be vigilant about these common momentum killers:
Internal Killers
- Inconsistency: Erratic application of leadership principles
- Burnout: Pushing too hard without sustainable practices
- Perfectionism: Waiting for ideal conditions to act
- Isolation: Failing to engage support systems
- Confirmation bias: Only seeing evidence that supports existing beliefs
External Killers
- Organizational churn: Constant restructuring or priority shifts
- Misaligned incentives: Rewards that contradict stated values
- Resource constraints: Inadequate time, budget, or support
- Cultural resistance: Entrenched norms that fight change
- Crisis management: Reactive leadership displacing proactive habits
Recovery Strategies After a Stall
When your leadership flywheel loses momentum, these strategies can help restart it:
Reset to first principles: Reconnect with your core leadership values and purpose. What fundamentally matters most?
Simplify your focus: Narrow down to just 1-2 key behaviors that will create the most visible impact.
Create accountability structures: Enlist coaches, peers, or team members to hold you to your commitments.
Celebrate micro-wins: Recognize even smaller victories to rebuild belief and motivation.
Analyze friction points: Identify specific barriers that are creating resistance and address them directly.
Refresh your approach: Sometimes a new angle or method can reinvigorate a stalled practice.
Seek external perspective: Mentors and coaches can spot blind spots and suggest alternative approaches.
Remember that temporary stalls are normal in any flywheel system. The key is recognizing them quickly and responding with intentional adjustments rather than abandoning the flywheel altogether.
Is Your Flywheel Spinning? A Self-Assessment
Rate yourself on a scale of 1-5 for each statement (1 = rarely true, 5 = consistently true):
1. I have clearly identified the 3-5 leadership behaviors that create the most impact in my context.
2. I practice these high-leverage behaviors with consistency, even when busy or stressed.
3. I regularly collect evidence of the results my leadership actions are creating.
4. My team can articulate the leadership values and principles I stand for.
5. I notice increasing trust and engagement from my team over time.
6. I find it increasingly natural to embody my leadership principles.
7. My influence extends beyond my direct authority.
8. I have systems to track both my leadership behaviors and their outcomes.
9. I can point to specific examples where small leadership actions led to significant positive change.
10. I feel a sense of momentum in my leadership effectiveness.
Scoring:
- 40-50: Your flywheel is spinning with strong momentum
- 30-39: Your flywheel is in motion but could accelerate
- 20-29: Your flywheel is starting to move but faces friction
- Below 20: Your flywheel needs focused attention to gain momentum
Your Flywheel Tracker Template
Weekly Momentum Tracker
Core Flywheel Behaviors
Behavior: ________________
Behavior: ________________
Behavior: ________________
Daily Consistency Tracking
Results & Evidence
Document observable outcomes here…
Momentum Builders/Blockers
What’s accelerating my flywheel? ________________
What’s creating friction? ________________
Next Week’s Focus
One adjustment to increase momentum…
Reflective Prompt: What Was Your Last Win?
Take a moment to identify and document your most recent leadership win—no matter how small it might seem:
- What specific action did you take?
- What positive result did you observe?
- Who was impacted, and how did they respond?
- What principle or value did this action embody?
- How could you replicate or expand this win?
Recognizing and celebrating small wins is fuel for your leadership flywheel. The more you notice them, the more momentum you build.
In Summary
The leadership flywheel transforms good intentions into lasting impact.
By focusing on consistent, high-leverage behaviors that create visible results, you build belief that drives further action. This virtuous cycle creates momentum that eventually makes leadership feel more natural and effortless.
Remember that all flywheels start slowly. The key is persistence through the initial resistance until momentum begins to build. Track your progress, celebrate small wins, and adjust when necessary.
Your call to action: Identify one small leadership win you can create consistently every day this week. Document the results and watch how this single focus begins to build your leadership flywheel.