If they can’t see it, they can’t follow it.

Most business owners I meet are crystal clear in their heads about where they want to go.

But when they explain that strategy to their team?

It falls flat.

Confusion creeps in.
Priorities clash.
Execution stalls.

It’s not because your strategy is wrong.
It’s because no one can see how it all connects.

This issue doesn’t just hurt your operations. It affects your ability to grow, build trust with your team, and even raise capital.

The fix? Show them what you’re seeing. Literally.

Note: If anyone knows me well, I'm particularly interested in the big picture aspects, such as strategy. I don’t think anything was directly quoted from this article (except for the image, which has been cited), but it was so well-written that I want to give it credit for helping me write this newsletter edition.
You Should Be Able to Boil Your Strategy Down to a Single Clear Visualization

The Real Problem: Verbal Strategy Isn’t Enough

You’ve probably shared your strategy with your team 100 times.

But if they can’t see it, they’ll keep making decisions based on the old way of doing things, or make it as they go along.

A great business strategy isn’t just a list of goals or a fancy mission statement. It’s a clear set of decisions about:

• Who you serve

• What makes you different

• And how your business actually wins

But unless that picture is clear in their minds, they’ll default to who is screaming at them and gut instinct.

Here’s how to change that.

🗺️ 1. Most Owners Explain Strategy. The Best Ones Map It.

🧩 The problem: Talking through strategy isn't enough. People need to visualize how everything fits together. The keyword is ‘THEY.’ Not what you think or see.

✅ The fix: Use a simple slide that shows your customer, your promise to them, and what your business needs to deliver that promise.

Think: “If I were dropped into the business as a new team member, would this one image help me understand what matters most?”

If not, your strategy is still too abstract.

 🔎 2. Too Much Info = Zero Clarity

🧩 The problem: Most strategy decks try to show 10+ ideas at once. That’s overwhelming.

✅ The fix: Keep it to 3 or 4 big ideas. Then, underneath each one, add one layer of detail. Think about the size of a Post-it note.

Great strategy visuals mimic a landscape: mountains, rivers, and roads. A few key elements, and each with more detail if you look closer.

Simple doesn’t mean dumbed down. It means focused.

➡️ 3. No Arrows? No Story.

🧩 The problem: Without showing how your ideas connect, the slide becomes just another PowerPoint diagram.

✅ The fix: Use arrows or lines to show flow. What leads to what? What depends on what?

If people can’t follow the cause and effect of your decisions, they’ll keep acting based on assumptions.

Your team isn’t slow. They just haven’t been given a map.

🖍️ 4. Color Is a Tool, Not a Crayon Box

🧩 The problem: Many owners think strategy slides need to “pop,” so they throw in 10 colors and lots of shading.

✅ The fix: Stick to color only to separate layers of information. One color for your value prop. Another for your customer. A third for capabilities or systems.

If the color doesn’t help someone make sense of the slide faster, remove it.

Your slide isn’t a piece of art. It’s a thinking tool. Speed in making and reading is key.

🛠️ 5. Build Horizontally—Because That’s How We Think

🧩 The problem: Stacking your ideas vertically feels logical in a doc, but visually it’s hard to follow.

✅ The fix: Lay out your strategy from left to right. Like a map. Like a story.

Start with your customer. Then move through your value proposition. Then, what do you need inside your company to make it happen.

It’s natural for the brain, and it keeps you from building a circular slide that leaves people dizzy.

⌚ Your 5-Minute Challenge

How close can you come to making your own? Feel free to send it to me.

Final Thought: Show Your Team What You See

The clearer you make the strategy, the less your team will lean on you to make every decision or guess however they want.

You can’t scale if you’re the only one who “gets it.”

A single, well-designed slide showing your strategy could unlock:

• Faster decisions

• Fewer miscommunications

• Higher team engagement

• And more confidence in what you’re building

It’s not about looking polished, it’s about giving people something tangible they can follow.

🤔 REFLECT: Your Turn

❓If someone on your team was asked to explain your strategy, would they all give the same answer?

❓ What’s the cost of your strategy being misunderstood or misinterpreted right now?

Share your story at [email protected].

Stay awesome, stay confident, and keep soaring higher!

— Cheering you on, Nick