Stop Pushing Your Team—Start Building a System That Pulls

By Jordan Imutan
Leadership & Execution Consultant | Creator of STRIDES™

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Let me guess: you’re tired of reminding people.
You’re tired of chasing deadlines, following up, and playing catch-up.

You’ve got good people—but somehow, the results don’t show it.
So you end up doing what many managers do: you push harder.
You check more, speak louder, and maybe even lose your cool.

But here’s what we’ve learned after working with dozens of leadership teams:

The problem isn’t always the people.
Most of the time, it’s the system.

And pushing doesn’t fix broken systems.
It just burns out everyone—especially the leader.

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🔄 Why Pushing Doesn’t Work (Even If It Feels Like It Does)

Sure, you might get short-term results.
People scramble. Projects move. Goals get ticked off… sometimes.

But pushing creates a culture of dependency.
It signals: “You’ll only move if I push you.”
So what happens when you’re not there?

Things stop moving.
People wait for instructions.
And accountability disappears.

In a McKinsey study on execution, only 30% of strategic initiatives succeeded.
The top reason? Lack of accountability and follow-through.

That’s not a motivation issue. That’s a structure issue.

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🧲 The Better Way: Let the System Pull

What if your team didn’t need to be pushed?
What if the system itself created momentum?

That’s what the STRIDES™ Framework is built to do.

At the core is this belief:

Clear plans, shared dashboards, and weekly rhythms pull people forward.

People move when:

• They know what they’re aiming for
• They can see real-time progress
• They’re part of a rhythm they trust
• Their tasks are visible to the whole team
• They’re not micromanaged—but they’re not invisible either

When we install STRIDES™ in teams, we shift the energy.
Leaders stop pushing.
Teams start owning.

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🧰 What Pull Looks Like in Practice

Here’s what we implement with every STRIDES™ client:

✅ A clear 90-day plan, broken into weekly deliverables
✅ One 25-minute weekly meeting to review and reset
✅ A simple dashboard showing RED, YELLOW, GREEN tasks
✅ Clear accountability by role, not just department
✅ A culture of healthy escalation—not blame

The result?

• Fewer missed deadlines
• Less hovering by leaders
• More proactive communication
• And yes—more things get done

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👥 A Real Story: From Pushing to Progress

One of our clients, a regional sales manager, used to say,

“I feel like I’m dragging everyone uphill every day.”

She had 14 people on her team—and felt like she had to manage all 14 personally.

We started by mapping out her 90-day goals, assigning owners per initiative, and installing a weekly 25-minute check-in using the STRIDES™ method.

After two months, she messaged us:

“I’m leading again, not chasing.”

The team started moving as a unit, not as 14 individuals with their own timelines.
Everyone could see who was stuck, who needed help, and what needed to happen next.

She stopped pushing.
The system pulled for her.

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🧪 Try It Yourself—Here’s How to Start

You don’t need to change everything overnight.
Just try this for the next 2 weeks:

1. Pick 3 priorities. Make them visible to your team.
2. Assign clear owners. One name per task—no committees.
3. Create a simple progress tracker. Use red/yellow/green.
4. Meet weekly for 25 minutes. Ask: “What’s done, what’s stuck, what’s next?”
5. Celebrate momentum. Even small wins build energy.

You’ll be surprised how quickly the culture starts to shift.
Because when people see the system working—they start working with it.

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📈 Leading Shouldn’t Feel Like Pushing a Boulder Uphill

You became a leader to inspire, not to remind.
To guide, not to guilt.
To move people forward, not carry them.

At STRIDES™, we help leaders install execution rhythms that make success easier—week by week, quarter by quarter.

No micromanagement.
No burnout.
Just a smart system that pulls everyone forward.

Please feel free to DM me.

Let’s make leadership lighter, and your team stronger—starting today.

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