Paper Napkin Wisdom - Podcast And Blog For Entrepreneurs, Leaders And Difference-makers

If you’ve been following our ongoing Freedom by Design series with business growth strategist Michael Walsh, you’ve noticed a theme: the farther you grow, the more your results depend on people—not just your personal effort. In Episode 280, Part 14, Michael brings a crisp napkin that says it all: “Develop Leaders.” The sketch shows two paths to results. One runs Leader → Manager → People → Results (big circle). The other jumps straight to Individual → Results (small circle). Same destination, wildly different scale.  Why? Because, as Michael says, “Leadership is about rallying people to a brighter future.” And when you scale, that “people” layer is where compounding lives.  Management vs. Leadership (and why both matter)  Early in the conversation, Michael tips his cap to Marcus Buckingham’s framing: “management’s about taking talent, turning it into performance.” Leadership, by contrast, is about direction, meaning, and conviction. Or in Michael’s words: “Leadership is about rallying people to a brig