The Right Direction Is Only the Beginning

suneel172
Aug 17
2 min read

The Right Direction Is Only the Beginning

Why course‑correction is as vital as knowing where you’re going.

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." — Lao Tzu

We celebrate visionaries for their bold choices, but the truth is: vision alone is fragile.

The right direction matters — but without monitoring and mid‑course adjustments, even the best plans drift.

Like a ship with a world‑class captain but a broken compass, you can be confident and wrong at the same time.

1️⃣ Direction — The First Victory

Clarity of direction is non‑negotiable.

"Choosing your direction is your first victory. Keeping it is the real battle."

2️⃣ Drift — The Invisible Risk

The danger isn’t just starting in the wrong direction — it’s starting right, and slowly veering off without noticing.

An entrepreneur I advised launched with a laser‑sharp customer niche. Three years later, revenue was flat. Why? They hadn’t abandoned their mission… but their messaging, hiring, and product features had subtly tilted toward easier short‑term wins, pulling them miles off course.

"Small deviations, left unchecked, become large detours."

3️⃣ Monitoring — The Hidden Superpower

Pilots don’t just set a course and relax — they make hundreds of micro‑adjustments mid‑flight.

Teams need the same discipline: dashboards that track not just metrics, but mission alignment.

Leaders who schedule intentional “course checks” — monthly, quarterly — can catch misalignments before they cost them years.

"A clear destination is useless without a system to notice when you’re off track."

Anecdote: The Mountain Trail

While hiking in the Sahyadris, I once took what looked like a shortcut. Twenty minutes later, I was on the wrong ridge — the summit still visible, but now across a deep valley. The path was still up, but not toward. The climb was harder, and I lost hours retracing my steps. Direction without constant orientation is like that — effort without arrival.