Paolo, could you clarify what you mean when you say: "Contractors need to learn how to lance"?

When I say contractors need to learn how to lance, I’m pushing for a radical shift in how contractors see themselves and their role in the marketplace. Most contractors approach their work in a very transactional way—they’re hired for specific tasks, deliver those tasks, get paid, and move on. But this approach limits their potential, their freedom, and their impact. Lancing, in the way I describe it, is about taking a much more strategic, empowered approach to work.

Here’s what I mean: contractors are often stuck in the mindset of just completing jobs—they’re hired to execute, to do what’s asked, and that’s the extent of their role. But lancing is about stepping into the world as a free, independent agent, someone who doesn’t just execute but creates, shapes, and directs the work they’re involved in. A contractor follows instructions; a lancer leads, even in situations where they’re brought in as a hired gun.

Learning to lance means claiming your power as a professional. It’s about realizing that you don’t have to just be a tool in someone else’s toolkit—you can be the one driving the narrative, steering the project, and bringing your own ideas to the table. It’s about understanding that your value is not just in completing tasks but in how you approach them, how you think, and how you create value beyond the checklist.

A contractor who has learned to lance stops thinking in terms of hourly work or just fulfilling a client’s needs. Instead, they start thinking about how they can use their skills to create bigger opportunities, not just for the client but for themselves. They become innovators in their own right, bringing solutions and insights that the client might not even have thought of. They stop being someone who waits for work and starts being someone who creates it.

This shift is crucial because it moves contractors from being replaceable to being irreplaceable. A contractor is one of many—anyone can be hired to do a job. But a lancer? They become sought after because they bring something unique, something that’s not just about completing the task but about elevating it. They stop working for clients and start working with clients on a deeper, more collaborative level.

In practical terms, learning to lance means stepping away from the idea that you’re just a hired hand. It means building a personal brand, developing expertise that goes beyond just your technical skills, and learning to position yourself as a creator of opportunities. It’s about seeing every contract, every project, as a chance to lead, to bring your vision, and to expand your influence.

So, when I say contractors need to learn how to lance, I’m challenging them to step out of the role of the executor and into the role of the strategic player. It’s about becoming someone who’s not just called in to do a job, but someone who’s called in to transform the game.