In a flat, hyper-competitive market, every player in the industry is looking for an edge. We analyze data, scrutinize marketing spend, and pressure-test recruiting strategies. But the real game-changer isn’t in a new piece of tech or a proprietary lead list. It’s in the mirror.
Inspired by a recent blog from James Clear, who pointed out that as the pace of change accelerates, the intelligence that matters most isn’t necessarily your market knowledge or your decades of experience. It’s your ability to avoid being your own bottleneck.
Your agents, your C-suite, and your competitors may all have the ability to succeed, yet so many talk themselves out of trying the things that would actually move the needle.
The Three Traps
Your business or your personal production will only grow as fast as your willingness to confront these three core traps: a lack of skills, a lack of connections, and a lack of certainty.
1. The Trap of Perfection: Lack of Skills
“If you lack the skills, be willing to look foolish while you learn them.”
The market has shifted. The skills that closed deals in 2020: simply being responsive and writing offers are not the skills that will close deals today. Today’s success demands mastery in pricing strategy, complex negotiation, and sophisticated listing presentation.
The Bottleneck: Refusing to develop a new skill because you’re afraid of the initial awkwardness. A broker-owner might avoid implementing a new AI-driven CRM because the training is messy. A top agent might cling to outdated marketing because learning video feels “foolish” or takes too much time.
The Action: Embrace the “Messy Middle.” Put your ego aside. The most intelligent move you can make right now is to become a beginner again. If you or your agents need to master video content or AI task automation commit to looking foolish for 30 days. The short-term discomfort is a minuscule price to pay for the long-term competitive advantage.
2. The Trap of Isolation: Lack of Connections
“If you lack the connections, be courageous enough to reach out and build them.”
In a competitive market, who you know dictates where the off-market opportunities, the strategic partnerships, and the high-level recruits land. Success is rarely a solo sport.
The Bottleneck: Waiting for opportunities to come to you or assuming you already have all the connections you need. This often manifests as a reluctance to cold-call, attend new networking events, or pitch a strategic partnership. Fear of rejection keeps the phone in its cradle.
The Action: Be Courageous in the Outreach. As a recruiting manager, are you only calling “warm” leads? As an agent, are you afraid to reach out to the area’s top estate planner or CPA for a referral partnership? Start small, but be systematic. Every week, set a non-negotiable goal to initiate three new, high-value connections. Stop waiting for the network to find you; you are the catalyst.
3. The Trap of Indecision: Uncertainty
“If you feel uncertain, be bold enough to figure it out along the way.”
Stagnation is often masked as analysis. When faced with uncertainty: Should we open a new satellite office? Should I pivot part of my marketing budget to YouTube? Should we sponsor this high-risk, high-reward agent? Some stop and wait for a perfect, guaranteed answer. That answer never comes.
The Bottleneck: The belief that you need 100% certainty before taking action. This hesitation is deadly in a fast-moving market. While your competitor is testing a new strategy at 70% confidence, you’re still designing the perfect spreadsheet.
The Action: Prioritize Momentum over Perfection. Action creates clarity. Set a minimum viable commitment and launch. If you’re unsure about a new tech platform, commit to a 90-day pilot with five top agents, not the whole firm. If you’re uncertain about a new neighborhood, host one high-end open house there. Be bold enough to take the first step, and trust that the path will reveal itself as you move forward.
The Bottom Line for Leadership and Production
Many people have the ability, but they talk themselves out of trying.
Your role, whether as a broker-owner leading a firm,, a recruiter or an agent leading your personal business, is to redefine intelligence. It’s about mental toughness: the willingness to fail forward, the courage to ask for help, and the boldness to act before you feel ready.
In this market, the most successful individuals and firms will be the ones who spend less time perfecting the plan and more time overcoming the fear of action.
Where in your business are you currently the bottleneck?
Thank you for the wonderful post Professor Mark! I couldn’t agree more. One of the keys to success truly is mentality.
– Al Hassan Gamal El-Din