“First who, then what. Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.”
– Jim Collins
Every December, business owners love to talk about “next year’s systems,” “new processes,” and “fresh SOPs.” And that’s great… processes matter. Clarity matters. Efficiency matters.
But here’s the truth nobody wants to admit: If you don’t have the right people on the bus, none of that matters. Your business won’t rise to the level of your SOPs – it will rise to the level of your people.
You can build the most airtight system in the world…
You can create 30 pages of SOPs…
You can turn AI loose and have it write your entire company playbook overnight…
But if the wrong people are the ones running it, you’re just putting fresh paint over some rotted wood.
2025 showed a lot of leaders something they didn’t want to see: It’s not a process problem – It’s a people problem.
Many leaders spent the year trying to systemize chaos instead of cleaning up the culture that created it.
Because here’s the punchline to note:
Great people make average systems work. Average people break great systems.
I’ve watched this for years. Every company that scaled, guess what… People first!
Every company stuck in the mucky middle? Process first!
“The single biggest factor in organizational health is who is on the team.” – Patrick Lencioni
Systems don’t get you out of bed early.
Systems don’t care about quality.
Systems don’t hold the line when conditions are tough.
People do.
And heading into the new year, this has never been more critical.
AI is making SOP-building effortless. You’ll be able to generate workflows, checklists, manuals, scripts, and training videos in minutes.
The “process” barrier is disappearing.
But execution? Ownership? Follow-through? Culture? Leadership?
That still requires A-players!!!
If you want a different year in 2026, start with the roster, not the playbook.
Ask yourself:
1) Who upheld the standard this year?
2) Who lifted the team?
3) Who created momentum?
4) Who drained it?
5) Who grew?
6) Who resisted growth?
That evaluation is 10x more important than whatever SOP you think you need to write next.
Because the right people become your system. They protect it, improve it, and scale it.
The wrong people – for any length of time – erode it.
Warren Buffett said “You can’t make a good deal with a bad person.”
At the end of the day, this entire conversation comes back to one simple truth: your business will never outgrow the people who run it. You can rewrite every process, rebuild every workflow, reorganize every department, and polish up every SOP until it shines. But if the wrong people are the ones carrying it into the field each day, the results will always fall short of what you hoped for.
As you look back on 2025, be honest about who truly pushed the company forward – and who held it back. Be honest about who raised the standard – and who fought it. Be honest about where you’ve been settling, and where you need to raise the bar.
Because 2026 will not be shaped by your intentions. It will be shaped by your people.
Build the team before you build the plan. Choose the right leaders before you choose the new systems.
Get the right people on the bus – and watch how fast the road opens up in front of you.
This is your moment to reset, refocus, and re-align. Make the decisions now that your future self will thank you for.
People first. Process second. That’s how you’ll build a year worth remembering.