A few years ago, I wanted bigger speaking stages. I assumed the problem was access. Better introductions. A better agent. A better reel.
A few years ago, I wanted bigger speaking stages.
I assumed the problem was access. Better introductions. A better agent. A better reel.
Those things helped. But the goal did not move the way I expected.
Eventually I saw the problem: the person who consistently books those rooms did not operate the way I was operating. He was calmer. Slower. More selective. He thought differently about his time and what he said yes to.
The goal did not move until I did.
I call the distance between current-you and goal-you the Identity Gap.
Why This Matters for Leaders
For some goals, the gap is small. You already have the behaviours and capabilities. The work is execution.
For other goals, the gap is enormous. You are trying to lead a team but avoid hard conversations. Build a business but have never learned to sell. Write a book but have never built a practice of finishing.
In those cases, the goal is not the project.
The becoming is.
Try this diagnostic.
Who would I have to be on the day this goal becomes true?
A Practical Way to Apply the Idea
How does that person spend time? What do they say no to? What no longer makes them flinch?
Then score the distance between that person and you today from one to ten.
If the gap is small, execute.
If the gap is large, stop endlessly tweaking the plan. Pick one trait future-you has that current-you does not and find the smallest rep of that trait you can complete this week.
The plan tells you where to go.
The gap tells you who has to show up.
A SIMPLE LEADERSHIP PRACTICE
Use the question or framework in the next real decision, team conversation, or planning session. The objective is not to admire the idea. It is to create information about the work while the cost of learning is still small.
COMMON MISTAKES
- Turning the idea into a slogan without changing a behaviour, meeting, decision rule, or feedback loop.
- Scaling a solution before the team has learned whether it addresses the root friction.
- Confusing adaptability with a lack of standards. Values, safety, ethics, and other true anchors still require clarity.
- Waiting for complete certainty when the next responsible action is reversible and can create better information.
Are fixed goals bad during uncertainty?
No. Fixed goals work well when the path is reasonably clear and the terrain is stable. The problem is using the same goal system in every environment.
What is the difference between direction and destination?
A destination is a fixed endpoint. A direction is a heading that guides decisions while leaving room to adapt the route.
When should a leader revise a goal?
When the assumptions supporting the destination materially change or the metric begins to undermine the direction it was meant to serve.
RELATED RESOURCES
- Plans Are Hypotheses, Not Promises: A Better Approach to Strategic Planning
- Why Trust Matters More During Change and Uncertainty
- How to Lead Through Uncertainty: A Practical Guide for Leaders