Speed Without Direction is Wasted Energy
By Derek Neighbors on March 5, 2025
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.
