Most organisations do not fail because they move too slowly. They fail because they spend years optimising the wrong problem — refining execution around a strategic question that was never worth asking in the first place. Speed only creates value when direction is right.
Before we ask, “How can we execute faster?” — the harder and more consequential question is: “Are we solving the problem that truly matters?” Across the boards, businesses, and leadership teams I have worked with, the same lesson repeats: relentless operational discipline applied to the wrong strategic bet produces waste at scale.
The ultimate strategy test is not about how fast you move. It is about whether you are moving in the right direction. In an era that celebrates velocity, the leaders who create lasting value are those who first invest in understanding enough to know where to run.
The biggest risk is not moving too slowly. It's solving the wrong problem.