Sometimes when leaders or creatives finish something, but it feels like the result is lacking, there is an urge to add "style" - in an attempt to make something more how they hoped it would be.

Adding style seems like a path to add your unique voice or original look or bring out your previous imagined vision. You may get tricked into adding style, which is not style at all but simply ornamentation.

When you start tacking on style late in the process of making, you risk creating a facade - a false covering to hide what you've made.

The issue is that you waste time building a facade instead of improving upon what you've made.

Central mistakes that lead to facade making:
1. We do not accept the reality of what we've made.
2. We try to shortcut our way to improvements.
3. We want to be unique or original - this can be a muddy path of subjective changes.
4. We worry this is our final version (often, this is not true.)
‍
When you finish something and wish it was better, face it with honesty and embrace its simplicity. Then work on your work, not a facade.

‍