The Avoidable Leadership Gap

Many leaders are working hard.

They are busy, productive, and constantly responding to demands. Their calendars are full. Their responsibilities are significant. Their organizations may even be thriving.

And yet, underneath all that activity, there is often a quiet sense of misalignment.

They feel stretched thin. Pulled in too many directions. Successful on paper but unsettled internally.

This is the avoidable leadership gap.

It is the space between what we are building externally and what we are anchored to internally.

Alignment is rarely discussed in leadership conversations, yet it may be one of the most important disciplines we practice. We talk about strategy, execution, innovation, and growth. We talk about margins and metrics. We talk about scaling and sustainability.

But we rarely pause long enough to ask whether our leadership is aligned.

In The Strength of Purpose, I explore what it means to live and lead in alignment with purpose. When our thoughts, our decisions, and our work are rooted in clarity about why we exist, leadership becomes more coherent. There is less fragmentation. Less internal friction. Less drift.

Alignment begins in the mind.

What consistently occupies your internal dialogue? Scarcity and comparison create one kind of leader. Service and contribution create another. The story you rehearse in your mind eventually shapes your behavior. Over time, your thinking forms your posture. And your posture shapes your culture.

Alignment then shows up in decisions.

Are your choices driven by short term optics, or by long term impact? Are you reacting to pressure, or responding from conviction? Are you trying to manage perception, or are you building something that will endure?

In The Power of Customer Experience, I emphasize that exceptional experiences are intentional. They result from leaders aligning daily decisions with the kind of culture and experience they want to create. Alignment is not theoretical. It is practical. It shows up in meetings, in feedback, in how conflict is handled, and in the standards we reinforce.

Finally, alignment shapes how we spend our time.

Are you investing energy in what truly matters, or are you constantly managing noise? Purpose has a way of filtering priorities. And priorities shape performance. When purpose is clear, decisions become cleaner. When purpose is cloudy, everything feels urgent and nothing feels fully satisfying.

Research on human flourishing reminds us that meaning and purpose are central to a life well lived . Leadership is no different. When leaders lack clarity of purpose, pressure feels heavier and success feels hollow. When leaders are anchored in purpose, they interpret challenges differently. They see growth where others see only strain.

The avoidable leadership gap does not form overnight. It develops gradually, often in seasons of growth and responsibility. Alignment is not something we achieve once and then move on from. It requires regular recalibration. A quiet moment to step back and ask whether our current pace, decisions, and direction still reflect what matters most.

Leadership is not only about what we build externally. It is about the integrity between who we are and how we lead.

When mindset is chosen intentionally, when foundation is built carefully, and when alignment is practiced consistently, leadership gains depth. Teams feel steadier. Customers feel valued. Impact becomes sustainable.

That kind of leadership does not happen by accident.

It is built from the inside out.