Leadership is all about solving problems, but let’s be real.
Most people focus on the wrong ones. Whether you’re a project manager or a business owner, figuring out what actually needs fixing is the game-changer.
Enter the “Monkey and the Pedestal” framework, a concept from X, the innovation lab where Alphabet (Google’s parent company) takes on its boldest projects.
What’s the “Monkey and the Pedestal” Framework?
Think of it this way: If you want to train a monkey to recite poetry while standing on a pedestal, what should you tackle first?
Building the pedestal might seem productive, but it’s pointless if you can’t train the monkey.
The monkey is the real challenge—the deal-breaker. The pedestal is just extra.
The takeaway?
If you can’t solve the monkey, nothing else matters.
But here’s the catch: Identifying the real monkey isn’t always obvious. And that’s where most leaders go wrong.
Spotting Your “Monkey” in Leadership
Too many teams waste time perfecting the pedestal—fine-tuning processes, adding new tools, or scheduling endless meetings—while ignoring the elephant (or monkey) in the room.
🚀 A project manager struggling with low team productivity might implement new software or increase check-ins. But what if the real monkey is that team members don’t know what’s top priority? Until that’s fixed, no tool or process will help.
🚀 A business owner planning a major pivot might obsess over branding, marketing, or industry trends. But if the real issue is co-founder misalignment, then all those efforts are just a pedestal which is nice, but not the real problem.
How to Use the “Monkey and the Pedestal” Framework Like a Pro
Before diving into a solution, ask yourself: If this problem were solved successfully, what was the biggest obstacle I had to overcome?
Here’s how to put it into action:
- List all the challenges – Dump everything that feels like an issue.
- Find the showstopper – What’s the one problem that, if solved, would make everything else easier?
- Test it – Attack the suspected monkey first and see if it moves the needle.
- Ignore the pedestal trap – Don’t waste time polishing things that don’t matter yet.
Using “Monkey and the Pedestal” in Project Management and Business Growth
Project managers and business owners constantly juggle priorities, but focusing on the wrong thing leads to burnout and wasted effort.
The secret?
Cut the fluff. Solve the real problem first.
That’s why smart leaders rely on tools like Astravue because figuring out the bottlenecks, streamlining collaboration, and making high-impact decisions is what actually drives results.
If you’re tired of running in circles, maybe it’s time to stop polishing the pedestal and start training the monkey.
Next time you hit a roadblock, ask yourself: Am I solving the monkey, or just decorating the pedestal?
The answer will change the way you lead.
