Title: "Is Your Vision Toppling the Bricks of Your Strategy? How to Build Bold Ideas Without Crumbling the Foundation"

As visionaries, we love to build—big ideas, disruptive concepts, game-changing innovations. But have you ever wondered if your constant urge to add more is actually weakening the very foundation of your business? Just like in construction, you can’t keep stacking bricks without ensuring the base is solid.

This tension is often seen in the relationship between the CEO (the visionary) and the COO or other senior leaders responsible for execution (the strategist or integrator). When visionaries constantly shift direction without considering the groundwork laid by those responsible for executing the plan, it can lead to conflicts that undermine the very systems meant to keep the business stable.

Visionary vs. Strategist: Building Boldly but Smartly

Visionaries and strategists are like architects and builders. The visionary dreams up bold plans, while the strategist ensures each brick—each action—is placed carefully, following a solid structure. When done right, this partnership creates something remarkable. But when the visionary constantly changes the blueprint, the entire structure can start to wobble.

The Visionary: Visionaries are the dreamers, always looking at what could be. They’re comfortable taking risks and pushing boundaries, laying out new bricks of innovation every day. But if they’re not careful, they risk adding too much too fast, without strengthening the foundation.

Key Traits of a Visionary:

• Focused on long-term goals and disruptive ideas
• Constantly looking to innovate and change direction
• Comfortable with risk, often pushing for more without seeing the cracks forming
• Passionate about the big picture, sometimes overlooking the need for a stable foundation

The Strategist: The strategist, on the other hand, is the one who ensures those visionary ideas have a solid base. They work brick by brick, making sure the structure can support the visionary’s grand plans. Without their attention to detail, the whole thing could collapse.

Key Traits of a Strategist:

• Methodical, focused on the details that keep the foundation strong
• Grounded in practicality, ensuring the vision can be executed step by step
• Risk-averse, preferring to reinforce the structure before adding new layers
• Keeps the business steady, ensuring the visionary’s ideas don’t destabilize the strategy

When Vision Topples the Bricks of Strategy: The Risks of Misalignment

As a visionary, it’s easy to want to keep stacking new ideas, new directions, new goals. But if the foundation—the strategy—isn’t solid, those bricks will start to fall. I’ve been there: driven by the excitement of a new vision, only to see that chasing too many ideas at once can crack the foundation of my business.

Here’s how that misalignment plays out:

• Cracks in the Foundation: Constantly shifting direction leads to a weak strategy, unable to support all the visionary’s ideas.
• Fallen Bricks: Wasted resources, time, and effort as teams struggle to keep up with ever-changing goals.
• Unstable Structures: Teams become overwhelmed, unsure of the priorities, and projects fall apart before they can reach completion.

The Conflict Between Visionaries and Strategists

Visionaries and strategists often butt heads when it comes to balancing big ideas with execution. While the visionary sees endless possibilities, the strategist is focused on maintaining order and ensuring the current plan is executed properly. These differing perspectives can create tension and even lead to conflict if not managed carefully.

Example 1: Overload for the Strategist

Imagine a CEO who constantly dreams up new revenue streams, product ideas, or market strategies. Each week, a new initiative is pushed to the team. The strategist, who is tasked with making all these ideas happen, quickly becomes overwhelmed by trying to maintain focus and complete projects while simultaneously accommodating the CEO’s evolving vision. This can lead to burnout and inefficiencies.

Impact:

• The team is spread too thin, and deadlines are missed because too many projects are half-finished.
• The strategist feels frustrated, as they are unable to see any one project through to completion, while the visionary feels the strategist is slowing them down.

Example 2: Risk of Losing Focus

In another scenario, the CEO identifies a new market opportunity that seems like a perfect fit for the business. However, the business is already in the middle of executing a well-crafted strategy to expand into another market. The strategist, focused on this original strategy, pushes back, arguing that shifting focus now will jeopardize current projects and waste resources. The visionary, on the other hand, sees an exciting opportunity slipping away.

Impact:

• Strategic misalignment occurs as resources are pulled in different directions, diluting focus and diminishing results.
• The strategist becomes seen as a “naysayer,” while the visionary may feel restricted and frustrated by the “slow” pace.

What Happens When You Change the Vision Midstream?

Shifting the vision too frequently can have serious consequences, especially when a solid strategy is already in motion. While innovation is critical, unchecked changes to the vision can disrupt everything. Constantly pulling out bricks mid-build causes instability in the business.

Impacts of Visionary-Induced Change:

• Disrupted Focus: The strategist and team may struggle to deliver results if the visionary constantly shifts priorities.
• Eroded Trust: If the visionary doesn’t respect the process, the strategist may become disengaged, and the team may lose confidence in leadership.
• Inefficiency: Constant pivots erode the efficiency of the systems and processes that have been built to support long-term success.

What Visionaries Should Do to Prevent Disruption:

To maintain harmony between vision and strategy, the visionary must understand the importance of respecting the strategist’s role in execution. Here are a few key ways to prevent visionary-driven disruption:

1. Stick to the Plan—At Least for a While: Test new ideas on a smaller scale or during set periods (like quarterly reviews) rather than making constant shifts. This keeps the foundation strong while still allowing room for innovation.
2. Communicate Big Shifts Early: Keep your strategist informed about potential changes and why they’re necessary. A well-justified pivot is more likely to be supported if it aligns with the long-term strategy.

What Strategists Can Do to Align with Visionaries:

Strategists must recognize that while stability is crucial, innovation and change are equally important to the growth of the business.

1. Build Flexibility into the Strategy: Allow room for some flexibility within the overall plan, recognizing that new ideas may emerge that warrant attention.
2. Push for Data-Driven Decisions: Ask for data to back up the visionary’s desire to pivot. If the CEO can provide evidence that a shift will significantly improve outcomes, the strategist will be more open to adapting the strategy.

Finding Balance: How Visionaries and Strategists Can Build Together

The most successful businesses are built when vision and strategy work in harmony. Visionaries bring the bold ideas, while strategists ensure those ideas are executed in a way that strengthens the foundation rather than weakening it.

Key Takeaways:

• Visionaries: Your ideas are the blueprint, but don’t add more bricks until the foundation is solid. Work closely with your strategist to make sure your vision can be executed without disrupting the strategy.
• Strategists: Your role is to keep the foundation stable, but don’t fear the visionary’s bold ideas. Together, you can build something stronger than either could on their own.
• Together: When visionaries and strategists collaborate, they can build structures that not only stand tall but stand the test of time.

Every visionary wants to keep building, but without a solid strategy as the foundation, those new ideas risk toppling the whole structure. Through my own journey, I’ve learned the importance of balancing vision with strategy, making sure that each new layer of innovation is supported by a strong base.

By working together—visionaries providing the blueprint and strategists reinforcing the structure—you can build a business that not only stands strong but continues to grow. So, before you add that next brick, ask yourself: is your foundation solid?

Keep Building,

Adam