Why Entrepreneurs Need Both Vision and Discipline

Research & Sources / Entrepreneur Growth

A kite needs two things to fly. Wind, which lifts it high. And a string, which holds it steady. Cut the string and the kite does not fly higher; it tumbles away and crashes. Without wind, the string is useless. Entrepreneurs need both: vision is the wind, discipline is the string.

Vision without discipline

Some entrepreneurs are full of vision. They see the future clearly, inspire everyone around them and have ten new ideas a week. But ideas pile up, projects start and stop, and the team gets tired of changing direction. The kite flies wildly, then crashes.

Discipline without vision

Other entrepreneurs are highly disciplined. They work hard, follow processes and finish what they start. But without a clear picture of where the business is going, discipline turns into routine. The business runs, but it doesn’t grow in any particular direction. The string holds a kite that never leaves the ground.

What research says

Angela Duckworth and colleagues studied what they called grit: perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Grit predicted achievement in several settings.¹ A later meta-analysis by Marcus Credé and colleagues found the effect to be more modest than popular accounts suggested, and that the perseverance part mattered most.² In other words: sticking with things is valuable, especially when combined with a clear long-term direction.

Research by Andrew Carton and colleagues showed that visions described in concrete, image-based language led to better team performance than abstract statements.³ Vision works best when people can actually picture it.

Combining wind and string

Make the vision concrete. Describe what the business will look like in three years in a way someone could draw.

Translate it into 90-day outcomes. One or two clear outcomes for the next quarter that move towards the vision.

Build weekly discipline around those outcomes. Fixed time, a weekly review, clear owners.

Use the vision to say no. New ideas go on a list. Only those that serve the vision get time this quarter.

Review and adjust. Once a quarter, check whether the vision still feels right and whether discipline is serving it.

Know your natural side

Most entrepreneurs lean towards one side. If you are a visionary, find disciplined people and systems to hold the string. If you are naturally disciplined, make time to look up and think about where the kite should fly.

What this means for you this week

• Write your three-year picture in five concrete sentences.
• Choose one 90-day outcome that moves towards it.
• Block weekly time for that outcome.
• Put three new ideas on a “later” list instead of starting them.

Let the wind lift you. Keep hold of the string.

Sources

1. Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D. & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087-1101. doi.orgPerseverance and passion for long-term goals predicted achievement in several settings.
2. Credé, M., Tynan, M. C. & Harms, P. D. (2017). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 492-511. doi.orgGrit’s effect on performance is more modest than popular accounts suggest; perseverance is the more useful part.
3. Carton, A. M., Murphy, C. & Clark, J. R. (2014). A (Blurry) Vision of the Future: How Leader Rhetoric about Ultimate Goals Influences Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 57(6), 1544-1570. doi.orgVisions communicated with concrete, image-based language led to better team performance than abstract statements.