Have you ever wondered how Apple overtook BlackBerry’s market dominance in record time?
It wasn’t about one being good and the other bad. Speed, direction, and decision-making made a world of difference.
Blackberry vs. Apple
BlackBerry pioneered the smartphone industry with strengths like security, efficient communication, and physical keyboards. However, these strengths became blind spots. BlackBerry’s leadership resisted industry shifts, believing their competitive edge would shield them from disruption. Meanwhile, Apple moved swiftly under Steve Jobs’ leadership, anticipating future trends, executing faster go-to-market strategies, and continuously iterating on its vision.
Apple’s innovations—an app marketplace, user-friendly design, and seamless integration—redefined the smartphone industry. The results speak for themselves: Apple is now a $3 trillion company, while BlackBerry has faded from relevance.
Perpetual Velocity
So, what’s the lesson in all this? Organizational success requires perpetual velocity. As Paul Anthony Claxton, managing partner of Q1 Velocity Venture Capital, describes it: “Perpetual velocity incorporates vision as the core...and continuous innovation as the acceleration.” BlackBerry stalled because it delayed decisions and resisted change. Apple sustained velocity by iterating its vision despite the risks of doing so.
In today’s fast-paced business environment, there’s no time to waste. Whether you’re a leader in a Fortune 500 company or a startup founder, sustaining velocity is the secret to building a company that endures. Velocity isn’t just about how fast you iterate—it’s about aligning speed with direction. By refining your vision and fostering innovation, your team won’t just survive—it will thrive.
This brings us to Vision360 Leadership Principle 11:
Principle 11: Twenty-first-century leaders iterate their vision to sustain perpetual velocity.
The Leadership Challenge
In today’s dynamic environment, companies that stand still risk irrelevance. Leaders often face two common pitfalls:
Stagnation: Failing to adapt to industry shifts and clinging to past successes.
Directionless Speed: Moving quickly without a clear vision, leading to wasted resources and misaligned efforts.
To overcome these challenges, leaders must balance speed with direction. Vision iteration is the key to sustaining velocity—it ensures that innovation aligns with strategic goals and organizational priorities.
Principle 11: Sustaining Velocity Through Vision Iteration
Perpetual velocity is about more than speed—it’s about aligning speed with purpose. Here’s how leaders can foster it:
Iterate Your Vision: Regularly revisit your vision to ensure it stays relevant in a changing landscape. Vision iteration isn’t about overhauling everything—it’s about refining and adapting.
Empower Teams to Act Quickly: Build a culture where teams feel confident making decisions and executing swiftly.
Balance Speed with Direction: Use clear communication and strategic frameworks to align efforts across the organization.
Embrace Continuous Innovation: Create an environment where experimentation is celebrated, and failure is seen as a stepping stone to learning, and ultimately, success.
Case Examples: Apple vs. BlackBerry and Beyond
Apple vs. BlackBerry
BlackBerry’s hesitance to evolve and overconfidence in its strengths caused it to lose ground. In contrast, Apple:
Anticipated industry shifts by focusing on customer needs.
Iterated its vision with features like an app marketplace and intuitive design.
Sustained velocity by balancing rapid innovation with strategic alignment.
Apple’s ability to refine its vision and act decisively allowed it to not only disrupt the smartphone industry but also dominate it.
Amazon’s Perpetual Velocity
Amazon provides another powerful example of sustaining velocity. Its relentless focus on refining its vision through customer obsession has driven continuous innovation across industries. From AWS to Prime to automation in warehouses, Amazon aligns speed with direction, ensuring that every innovation supports its overarching mission.
Practical Tips for Leaders
To sustain perpetual velocity within your organization, try these strategies:
Iterate Your Vision: Revisit your vision regularly to ensure it aligns with industry trends and organizational goals.
Empower Teams: Encourage autonomy and decision-making at all levels, ensuring teams can act swiftly.
Balance Speed with Direction: Use clear communication to align efforts across the organization.
Celebrate Experimentation: Foster a culture where failure is a learning opportunity and a stepping stone to innovation.
Ask yourself: What’s your next iteration, and how will it sustain your organization’s velocity?
Connecting to Vision360 Leadership Coaching
At Teaiiano Leadership Solutions, we specialize in helping leaders refine their vision and sustain perpetual velocity. Our coaching and workshops empower teams to:
Align speed with strategic direction.
Foster cultures of innovation and adaptability.
Build systems that sustain momentum in fast-changing environments.
Here’s how you can get started today:
Buy Chapter 10 to learn more about vision iteration and perpetual velocity.
Order the Full Book to master the Vision360 Leadership Framework.
Schedule a Coaching Session to align your team’s speed and direction for enduring success.
Closing Reflection
Velocity combines speed with direction. By iterating your vision and fostering innovation, you can sustain momentum and build a company that thrives in the face of challenges.
So, what’s your next iteration?
This concludes our series on the 11 Principles of Vision360 Leadership. Stay tuned for more insights and strategies to build visionary organizations that endure.
Visionary Leadership: A Guidebook for 21st Century Organizations and Entrepreneurial Teams introduces the Vision360 Leadership model—a framework crafted to help leaders and teams transform vision into reality. At Teaiiano Leadership Solutions, we integrate these principles into every aspect of our coaching, consulting, and leadership development to empower you to anticipate change, innovate with confidence, and achieve lasting success. You can purchase your copy of the book here to dive deeper into these transformative strategies, or explore more insights and resources at our home base: www.teaiiano.com.
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