Speed Without Direction is Wasted Energy

Too many teams mistake motion for progress. They sprint into execution—building, fixing, grinding—only to find themselves trapped in a loop, solving the same problem again. Leaders aren’t off the hook either. Execs push half-baked solutions, sending chaos rippling through their orgs. Everyone’s obsessed with moving fast. But if you don’t know where you’re going, speed just gets you lost faster.

Here’s the fix: don’t slow down—get sharp. A single well-placed question, a five-minute root-cause check, a pause to challenge assumptions doesn’t kill momentum—it fuels it. The fastest teams aren’t the ones slamming the gas on day one. They’re the ones making sure they’re aimed at the right target before burning resources.

Leaders, this starts with you. If your teams are spinning their wheels, look in the mirror—you’re probably moving without thinking, too. Model the right behavior. Celebrate the ones who ask “why” before they build. Forge a culture where curiosity and execution aren’t at odds.

Because speed’s not the goal. Winning is.

Further Reading:

• The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen M.R. Covey
• The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
• The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
• The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions, and Results by Stephen Bungay
• First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham