Years ago, I stepped into my boss’ office and pitched a somewhat radical new idea. He listened carefully and told me that my idea was interesting and had merit, but said I didn’t have enough “Juice to get it done.” I was confused and asked, “What is Juice?” That is when he explained the Juice Theory — a concept I’ve used ever since.
He told me to imagine an empty glass pitcher. He told me to draw a line on the pitcher somewhere between empty and full to represent my idea. He told me that I would need to fill the pitcher with enough Juice to reach the line if I wanted the idea to proceed and ultimately succeed. I am partial to orange juice, so I envisioned a pitcher with it filled up to the line I had mentally drawn on my imaginary pitcher.
He said the more challenging or transformational an idea, the higher the line — or the more Juice — needed in the pitcher. He explained that Juice is the amount of power or delegated authority that one has, and more importantly, it is the amount of influence a person possesses to make a change or implement a new idea or program.
He said that every employee in the company (or sailor on the submarine, in this specific case) has a certain amount of Juice. The higher you are in the organization, the more Juice you generally have, but all employees have Juice — even new employees on Day 1.
He said the mistake I made was thinking I could come into his office, get his blessing, and implement the idea. I incorrectly assumed that he possessed an infinite amount of Juice, believing that his authority alone could fill the pitcher. He told me that, as the leader, he had the proverbial 51% vote or enough Juice to fill the pitcher just over halfway full. But my idea was so significant that it required a nearly full pitcher to ensure its success.
He told me that, as a leader, I had Juice. If he and I both poured our Juice into the pitcher, it would be something like 65% full. However, my idea required that the pitcher be closer to 90% full to guarantee success. The way we make things happen is by using our Juice.
My boss sent me away with a challenge: Collaborate with my peers, get their buy-in, encourage them to pour their Juice with mine, and come back with enough Juice to make the pitcher 90% full.
As CEO, I have a lot of Juice delegated to me by the Board of Directors. But I don’t have an infinite amount of Juice. If all the senior leaders in the company combined their Juice together, they would likely have almost as much or more Juice than the CEO. They definitely have enough Juice to change a CEO’s mind.
Another truth: If every employee in the company combines their Juice, that is a lot of Juice, and the effect is the same. This much Juice can and will impact decisions that are important to everyone.
The Juice Theory works not just in companies but also in groups and families. If my wife, kids, and grandkids combine their Juice and propose an alternative to my plan, my plan generally goes out the window. Only in the most significant or extreme situations would a leader use their 51% vote or Juice to veto or override the collective Juice of a group or family.
The Juice Theory is just a simplistic way to think about the power of collaboration. Everyone matters, and doing the work necessary to get others to add their Juice to yours pays big dividends.
It is a new year, and I think that 2025 will be both interesting and transformational. My question to you is: How will you use your Juice this year to make good things happen?