Stop Chasing the Ball: Leadership is the Courage to Say NO
Puppy Syndrome: High energy, zero direction, and a guaranteed crash for your strategy.
Are You a Leader, or a Puppy?
I see it constantly in the startup world and the boardroom alike. A new tender appears, a ‘game-changing’ partnership is whispered, or a shiny new feature is proposed. Suddenly, the entire organisation is sprinting across the park because someone threw a ball.
We call it being opportunistic. Stop kidding yourself. It’s a lack of focus.
If you haven’t clinically articulated your direction, you don’t see these as distractions; you see them as growth. So, you run. Then your team runs. Before long, everyone is breathless, your core product is stalling, and you’re no closer to the summit.
“Your strategic authority is not found in what you start; it is found in the good ideas you have the courage to refuse.”
I used to think that saying Yes! to a new opportunity was a sign of ambition. I thought it proved that we were agile and hungry.
Enough dead ends taught me that every Yes silently kidnaps your primary mission. The ransom you pay is the time you should have spent on your current clients and the milestones that actually matter. When you chase every ball, you are not leading; you’re reacting.
Your Waypoint
Your strategic authority is not found in what you start; it is found in the good ideas you have the courage to refuse. To reclaim your line:
The 24-Hour Rule: Never agree to a new opportunity in the room. Give it a night to see if it actually fits your strategy.
The Pivot Weight: Every time you start something new, something else slows down. If you chase the ball, which existing target are you prepared to miss?
Draft a ‘Non-Strategy’: List three lucrative areas you are explicitly choosing not to pursue this year.
Mirror Check
Look at your current projects. Which of them is a ball you should never have chased? What would happen if you simply let it stop rolling and get your eyes back to the road?
Thank you for reading this far. If any of this resonates, I’d love to welcome you as a reader and to stay connected. Please join the mailing list for future posts, share your thoughts in the comments, or find me on LinkedIn.
