Determined to figure it out, James called a meeting with his leadership team. He thought if they could just talk through the problems, they’d uncover a way forward.

James: “Okay, let’s tackle this. Our numbers are flat, and we all feel it. What’s going wrong?”

Maya (Director of Operations): “Honestly? It feels like we’re pulling in different directions. Marketing and sales aren’t aligned, and operations is left cleaning up the mess.”

Dan (Director of Sales): “Exactly. And it’s more than that, James. The team’s constantly asking me where we’re headed as a company, and I don’t even know what to tell them.”

James: “How can you not know? We talk about our goals all the time!”

Maya: “You do, James. But they’re not clear. Everyone hears something different.”

James sat back, stunned. He thought he’d been communicating his vision all along, but Maya was right. His goals weren’t clear—they were scattered. The company had grown on sheer determination, but now it was faltering because no one really knew where they were going.