Setting Direction: How Effective Leaders Determine Where to Go
"A leader must take time to think, plan, and figure out the direction to steer things."
This simple statement from Terry Cook's work on trusted leadership highlights one of the most fundamental yet frequently overlooked aspects of leadership: setting direction.
In Cook's Trusted Leader Model, setting direction is the first operational aspect of the "Lead" function. Without it, the other leadership functions—developing people and caring for them—lack proper context and purpose.
The Direction Dilemma
Many leaders find themselves in what I call the "direction dilemma"—so consumed by daily operations, immediate problems, and urgent demands that they neglect the critical work of determining where the team or organization should be heading.
As Cook notes, setting direction "is not something that is obvious, and often the things that seem most obvious tend to be very short-sighted with no long-term advantages." This observation points to a crucial truth: effective direction-setting is both essential and non-intuitive.
Most leaders are, as Cook describes, "merely responding to what's hitting them," driven by "the tyranny of the urgent or the demands of personnel or the pressures of production." This reactive approach may keep things moving but rarely moves things forward in a meaningful way.
Why Direction-Setting Matters
Before diving into how to set direction effectively, let's consider why it matters so much:
1. It Creates Focus
Without clear direction, teams and organizations scatter their energy across too many initiatives. Setting direction allows you to focus collective efforts on what matters most.
2. It Enables Alignment
When everyone understands where you're heading and why, they can align their work accordingly. This alignment multiplies effectiveness and eliminates wasted effort.
3. It Provides Purpose
Direction-setting answers not just the "what" and "how" questions but also the crucial "why" question. This sense of purpose fuels motivation and perseverance.
4. It Facilitates Decision-Making
Clear direction simplifies countless decisions. When facing options, the choice becomes: "Which option best moves us toward our destination?"
5. It Anticipates Change
Thoughtful direction-setting requires considering future trends, challenges, and opportunities, making your team more prepared for change.
The Elements of Effective Direction-Setting
So how do effective leaders set direction? Here are the key elements:
1. Take Time to Think
Setting direction requires dedicated thinking time—not just a few minutes squeezed between meetings, but substantive periods for deep reflection and strategic thought.
Many leaders resist this, feeling that "real work" happens in meetings, calls, or email responses. But as Cook emphasizes, taking time to think, plan, and determine direction is perhaps the most important work a leader does.
Action Step: Block at least 2-4 hours weekly in your calendar specifically for direction-setting thought work. Protect this time religiously.
2. Look Beyond the Obvious
As Cook notes, the most obvious direction is often "very short-sighted with no long-term advantages." Effective direction-setting requires looking beyond immediate opportunities or challenges to consider longer-term implications.
Ask questions like:
Where will this path lead us in 3-5 years?
What second-order effects might result from this direction?
How sustainable is this direction over time?
Action Step: For any potential direction, explicitly identify both short-term (1 year) and long-term (5+ years) implications.
3. Consider Multiple Perspectives
Direction-setting isn't just about where you want to go; it's about where your team, organization, customers, and other stakeholders need you to go.
Effective direction-setting incorporates perspectives from:
Team members at various levels
Customers or service recipients
Partners and collaborators
Market and industry trends
Competitive landscape
Action Step: Create a simple stakeholder map and consider how any potential direction impacts each group.
4. Clarify the Target
Vague directions like "grow the business" or "improve performance" provide little guidance. Effective direction-setting specifies:
What success looks like (clear, measurable outcomes)
Key milestones along the journey
How progress will be measured
When specific results should be achieved
Action Step: For your current direction, create a one-page document that clearly outlines these elements.
5. Connect to Purpose and Values
Direction must align with your organization's core purpose and values. When it doesn't, you risk creating momentum toward a destination that ultimately undermines what matters most.
Action Step: For any proposed direction, explicitly check alignment with your stated purpose and values.
Practical Questions for Setting Direction
Cook suggests several questions that have proven helpful in determining direction. Let's explore these and add a few more:
For Organizational Leadership:
Where are we now? (Honest assessment of current reality)
What are our current capabilities and limitations?
What market position do we hold?
What results are we currently achieving?
Where should we be going? (Future aspiration)
What opportunities align with our strengths?
What problems are we uniquely positioned to solve?
What trends will impact our future?
Why there? (Purpose and reasoning)
How does this direction serve our purpose?
What value will this create for stakeholders?
Why is this more important than alternative directions?
How will we get there? (Strategy and approach)
What capabilities do we need to develop?
What resources will be required?
What obstacles must we overcome?
How will we know we're making progress? (Metrics and milestones)
What leading indicators will show we're on track?
What short-term wins should we expect?
How will we measure ultimate success?
For Family Leadership:
What kind of family do we want to be? (Family identity and culture)
What values do we want to define us?
What experiences do we want to create together?
What relationships do we want to nurture?
What challenges are we facing or anticipating? (Reality assessment)
What life stages are family members entering?
What external pressures are affecting us?
What patterns need to change?
What strengths can we build on? (Asset inventory)
What unique abilities do family members possess?
What positive traditions can we leverage?
What resources are available to us?
What do individual family members need? (Personal development)
What growth areas should we prioritize?
What supports need to be in place?
What opportunities should we create?
Communicating Direction Effectively
Setting direction is only half the challenge—you must also communicate it effectively so others understand, embrace, and align with it. Effective direction communication includes:
1. Clarity and Simplicity
Can you express the direction in a single, memorable sentence? If not, keep refining. Complex directions rarely inspire or guide effectively.
2. Context and Rationale
People need to understand not just where you're heading but why this direction matters. Share the thinking behind the direction.
3. Connection to Values
Help people see how the direction reflects and reinforces core values they already embrace.
4. Concrete Next Steps
Bridge the gap between big-picture direction and day-to-day work by clarifying immediate implications and actions.
5. Consistent Reinforcement
Direction isn't set once and forgotten—it requires consistent reinforcement through communication, decisions, and resource allocation.
From Direction to Momentum
Setting direction is ultimately about creating momentum toward a valuable destination. As Cook notes, the intentional leader "makes things happen" rather than just watching things happen or wondering what happened.
When you take time to think deeply about direction, look beyond the obvious, consider multiple perspectives, clarify the target, and connect to purpose and values, you create the conditions for meaningful progress.
This deliberate approach to setting direction distinguishes the trusted leader from the merely reactive manager. It transforms leadership from crisis response to intentional influence. And it ensures that all the effort and energy invested by your team or family moves you toward a destination worth reaching.
What process do you use for setting direction in your leadership? How do you balance short-term pressures with long-term direction?
For a full treatment of this topic see:Lead Develop Care