The Leadership Punt: Why Vision Can’t Stay in Your Head

I was recently quoted in AdNews in an article about why agencies shouldn’t be expected to solve business problems for free during the pitch process. But my perspective wasn’t just about the pitch—it was about how real solutions aren’t arrived at in isolation.

As I said in the piece:
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“There is no way to truly solve a business or creative problem without working alongside the client. Anything else? It’s just assumption and guesswork.”

It’s true for agencies, but it’s even more true for leadership teams.

I see this all the time: an executive recognizes that their company has a positioning problem. Maybe they need to shift how the market perceives them, maybe they’re struggling to align internal stakeholders, or maybe they’re watching competitors take the lead.

They know something needs to change. And then?

They punt.

Not because they don’t care, or because they don’t have a vision, but because they don’t have a structured way to bring that vision to life.

So instead of tackling the real issue, the company moves forward the only way they know how—business unit leaders continue executing their own initiatives, teams optimize for their own KPIs, and marketing refines messaging around a strategy that doesn’t actually exist.

Meanwhile, the real problem—the lack of a clear, unified narrative—remains unsolved.

The Fragmentation of Vision

This is what we call The Fragmentation of Vision. It happens when different parts of the organization are operating independently, each chasing their own version of success.

Product teams are innovating in one direction, sales is telling a different story, marketing is positioning the company in yet another way, and leadership is looking at the big picture, wondering why nothing seems to click.

When vision isn’t actively aligned across the company, it fractures. Not intentionally, but inevitably. And that fragmentation leads to:

• Conflicting priorities – Departments work toward their own goals instead of a shared future.
• ‍Scattered messaging – No single, compelling narrative ties the brand together.
• ‍Lost momentum – Without alignment, big ideas never gain traction.

What’s worse? Everyone is busy. Initiatives are launching, campaigns are running, customer needs are being met. From the inside, it might not even look like a problem—until the market starts dictating the company’s story for them.

Vision Can’t Stay in Your Head
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The best leaders I know are visionaries. They see where their company could be, but too often, that vision stays locked in their head, or only surfaces in offsite meetings, keynotes, or investor decks.

A vision isn’t something to be held—it’s something to be shared, refined, and aligned across the organization. It’s not just an idea; it’s a strategic force.

But it only works if it’s actively shaping how the company operates, positions itself, and makes decisions.

This is why Story at the Center exists. This methodology doesn’t just “fix messaging” or “refresh positioning.” It helps companies unify their vision into a clear, ownable narrative—one that aligns leadership, informs strategy, and guides execution.

The Alternative to the Punt

Every company has a story. The question is: Is it being told the way it should be?

If leadership isn’t actively aligning around a shared narrative, then the story being told in the market—and within the company—is fragmented at best, and completely misaligned at worst.

The good news? This is solvable.

When vision is clearly articulated, shared, and embedded into strategy, everything changes:

• Teams work together instead of at odds.
  
• Messaging strengthens.
• Market positioning sharpens.

And instead of punting the problem down the road, leaders finally see their vision turn into impact.

Because the companies that win aren’t the ones with the best ideas. They’re the ones who align around a vision together and then execute on it together.