Simple is Not Easy
“Simple is not easy.” The kitchen credo of St John’s in London.
At first glance, it’s about food. St John’s is famous for its stripped-back menus. Roast bone marrow. Eccles cake with Lancashire cheese. Dishes that look almost austere. But simplicity in food is deceptive. There’s nowhere to hide. If the ingredient isn’t right, or the cooking is off, the dish fails.
That phrase—simple is not easy—has struck a chord with me for years. The more I’ve lived with it, the more I see how it applies far beyond the kitchen.
Keep it Simple…….
Cultural Work: Clarity in the Complex
In the cultural sector, complexity is a constant companion. Masterplans. Capital projects. Collections care. Interpretation. The temptation is always to add more—to prove worth by layering detail. Yet, the most powerful experiences for the public are often the simplest.
Wayfinding that feels intuitive.
Interpretation that tells the story clearly.
Journeys that flow without friction.
Behind that simplicity sits months of messy planning, collaboration, and compromise. But when done well, the audience doesn’t notice. They just connect.
Non-Executive Roles: The Discipline of Focus
In my non-executive work, the same truth plays out. Governance can so easily become pages of reports, endless agenda items, and spiralling subcommittees. The harder, braver path is to simplify.
It means asking the right questions at the right time. Holding fast to the purpose of the organisation. Cutting through noise to see what really matters.
Edward de Bono put it perfectly in his book Simplicity: most systems don’t collapse because they are weak—they fail because they become overcomplicated. The discipline is to remove the clutter so clarity can surface.
Creating Products and Services: The Illusion of Ease
Designing a new café concept. Developing a retail line. Shaping a hospitality service. At first, it seems simple—deliver something people want.
But the reality is layered. Balancing guest expectations, cost structures, supply chains, sustainability, and brand identity takes real graft. The best products and services feel effortless to the customer. Yet behind that ease lies relentless testing, refinement, and iteration.
Simplicity in design isn’t about stripping out value—it’s about distilling it to its essence. That’s where the hard work sits.
Personal Relationships: The Hardest Simplicity
Nowhere is “simple is not easy” more true than in personal relationships.
Being present. Really listening. Saying what I mean without layering it in distraction. Making time. These are the simplest things in theory. But in the rush of work, life, and ambition, they are the hardest to keep front and centre.
I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, that simplicity in relationships isn’t about doing more. It’s about stripping back, slowing down, and valuing what matters.
The Extraordinary yet Simple St Johns
Health: The Daily Challenge
Health should be simple. Move every day. Eat well. Sleep enough. Drink water.
We all know the basics. Yet living by them is not easy. Habits slip. Stress creeps in. Excuses multiply.
For me, the challenge is to return again and again to the basics, to honour simplicity even when life is chaotic. The discipline of small daily choices is what keeps me steady.
The Universal Truth
That line from a London restaurant kitchen has become a daily compass:
Clarity takes work.
Simplicity takes discipline.
Ease takes effort.
Edward de Bono was right—simplicity is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. The best food, the best strategies, the best products and services, the best relationships, the best health routines—they all look simple from the outside. But the work behind them is anything but.
So I come back to this question:
What’s the hardest “simple” thing you’re wrestling with right now?
Here's to a Bright Future rooted in our Rich Past JJ
#Leadership #Culture #Hospitality #Governance #Health #KeepItSimple
