True North and Verb Leadership
Real production requires a direction.
Leadership and Direction
Lots of work, lots of meetings, little movement, lots of frustration.
This is the primary business model and work flow for almost every organization we have worked with, at least at the beginning.
And leaders wonder why their teams seem busy but are not truly moving forward, and they wonder, they get frustrated, and they blame. And they are not alone.
Many leaders experience this odd tension: everyone is working hard, yet the organization feels adrift, waiting for the next set of instructions or, worse, stuck in a cycle of micromanagement and reactivity. The root of this isn’t a lack of effort or talent. it’s a lack of shared direction. People simply don’t know when or how to act or what appropriate action looks like.
If you want them to act, they need to know what they are acting towards. This is where the concept of “True North” becomes not just helpful, but essential.
Why True North is Crucial, but Deceptively Simple
True North isn’t a slogan or a set of values posted on a wall. It’s an operationalized definition of intent. An actionable sense of purpose that guides decisions, shapes priorities, and gives people a newfound confidence to act. When leaders articulate and nurture a clear True North, teams don’t just wait for orders, they move with purpose, make better decisions, and have a real sense of ownership over their work. Without it, even the most well-intentioned teams can fall into the trap of doing for the sake of doing, losing sight of what really matters.
For us (Karl and Jim) our own journeys, and that of many of our colleagues, has been defined by this epiphany. Early in our careers, I was drawn to (seduced by) the tactical side of work. We were always looking to adopt new practices, follow the latest frameworks, and jump into action. We were more interested in getting stuff done and felt that it would always be the right stuff that got done. But over time, it became clear that all projects and initiatives invariable went off the rails. Without a strategic anchor, these efforts often led to incomplete work, shockingly bad decisions, blame cascades, and a universal sense of frustration and burnout.
Strategy Is Operations
Our individual breakthroughs came when we started to see strategy first. That operations without strategy was signing up for another “unscheduled disassembly.” At that point, strategic thinking worked its way into every project, every team. Not as a distant, abstract exercise, but as something deeply connected to daily work. Tools like the X-Matrix and Hoshin Kanri helped us visualize how different goals and strategies interconnect, making it possible to see the bigger picture, collaborate on strategy, and have our entire teams or companies act professionally and with intention.
Our True North Workshop (17 July 2025) is designed to help leaders make this shift. It’s not about prescribing a one-size-fits-all solution, but about creating space to reflect on your own context, challenges, and aspirations. In the workshop, you’ll have the chance to step back from the daily grind and ask the bigger questions: What problem are we really trying to solve? What kind of organization do we want to become? How do we create an environment where people can act with confidence, not just compliance? How can we get the most from the people we have, move better product out the faster, and help every metric we ever dreamed of perform better?
The Workshop is Immediate Value
One of the most powerful aspects of this experience is the opportunity to learn from others. Leaders who have navigated similar challenges, made mistakes, and found ways to foster alignment and autonomy. You’ll hear stories from organizations that moved from chaos to clarity, not by imposing rigid processes, but by building systems that respect the human side of work. These aren’t just theoretical lessons; they’re grounded in real-world practice and the messy, rewarding work of leading change. They have your problems, you have theirs, everyone that comes has something to add.
Perhaps most importantly, the workshop is a chance to work on your actual challenges, not hypothetical case studies. You’ll get dedicated time to process your own “True North,” explore use cases, and leave with a plan that’s both practical and meaningful. It’s a rare opportunity to step out of the whirlwind, connect with peers, and return to your team with renewed clarity and purpose.
Leaders who invest in defining and communicating their True North don’t just get better results—they create workplaces where people thrive. If you’re ready to move beyond firefighting and start leading with confidence, this workshop offers a path forward.
 | A guest post by
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