Prioritization and Dependencies

At Level 5, you shape how prioritization happens at scale. You influence organizational strategy through clarity of focus, and create the conditions for others to consistently make sound prioritization decisions. You lead not just through what you prioritize, but through how you help others do the same. Your work makes complex tradeoffs legible across functions. You surface hidden tensions and enable coherent, resilient prioritization across time horizons, teams, and stakeholders. You advocate for values-aligned decisions that balance urgency, impact, and sustainability.

Key Behaviors

  • Defines principles and frameworks for prioritization across the organization
  • Aligns company-wide priorities with capacity, goals, and long-term vision
  • Coaches leaders and teams on navigating difficult tradeoffs
  • Builds scalable systems for dependency tracking and prioritization health
  • Advocates for strategic clarity when work becomes reactive or fragmented

Common Struggles

  • May struggle to simplify conflicting priorities without oversimplifying nuance
  • Can become overly abstract, losing touch with real constraints and context
  • Risks over-relying on personal judgment instead of building shared ownership

Success Indicators

You know you're successful when you:

  • Influence how prioritization and tradeoffs are made across the company
  • Are known for helping teams focus, align, and deliver on what matters most
  • Champion prioritization as a skill, not a checklist
  • Leave behind systems and practices that outlast your direct involvement

Mindset Shift

From:

"I clarify and guide priorities."

To:

"I build systems and culture that sustain prioritization clarity without me."

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • Where are teams relying on me too much for prioritization?
  • Are our systems supporting clear decisions—or creating friction?
  • How am I reinforcing good prioritization habits in others?

Build These Habits

  • 1
    Document and evolve prioritization frameworks collaboratively
  • 2
    Normalize ambiguity while driving alignment
  • 3
    Create templates, cadences, or rituals that reinforce strategic focus

Seek Feedback

  • "What's helped you clarify your own priorities recently?"
  • "Where is prioritization breaking down in ways I'm not seeing?"
  • "What could we do to make prioritization more inclusive or transparent?"

Signals You're Ready to Level Up

  • Prioritization quality improves even without your direct input
  • Strategic plans are resilient to change because of shared clarity
  • Others teach, model, and extend your prioritization approach

Focus Summary

  • Lead with focus
  • Scale clarity
  • Build prioritization that lasts

At Level 5, you are a steward of prioritization culture. You help people do the right work at the right time for the right reasons—at scale, and with clarity.