The quiet threat to every leader’s success (and how to stop it)
A few summers ago, I rented a small pontoon boat on a mountain lake. The sun was warm, the breeze was light, and I thought we were doing great.
Then I looked up. The shoreline was nowhere near where it had been.
We hadn’t been paying attention. Without an anchor, we had slowly drifted.
Drifting doesn’t feel dangerous. It feels easy. Comfortable. Almost invisible. Until you realize you’re far from where you intended to go.
Leaders experience the same thing.
Drift Is the Silent Thief
Most leaders fear failure. But the real danger isn’t failure—it’s drift.
- You push that one strategic project to “next quarter” while drowning in day-to-day tasks.
- You stop asking hard questions in meetings because it’s easier to let things slide.
- You lower the bar for your team—“good enough” replaces excellence.
- You skip your own development—books unread, coaching delayed.
- You let cultural cracks widen because addressing them feels uncomfortable.
- You celebrate busyness instead of progress—activity replaces achievement.
Drift rarely announces itself. It whispers. Slowly. Subtly.
Until one day you see the gap between where you are and where you wanted to be.
Jon Acuff said it best:
“Drifting takes you places you never meant to go.”
From Drift to Drive
Chris Robinson, in his highly recommended book From Drift to Drive, puts it bluntly:
“Complacency is the quiet killer of leaders.”
He defines complacency as “a secret place of satisfactory success.”
It shows up in small ways: you tolerate less-than-excellent results. You stop stretching. You settle for being good instead of great.
Drift is subtle—but it’s also stubborn. Left unchecked, it becomes your new normal.
Drift doesn’t have to define you. Instead, drop anchor, chart a new course, and reclaim the momentum you thought was gone.
Are You Drifting?
Ask yourself:
- Am I clear on my top three priorities—or reacting to whatever’s loudest?
- Do I end most days accomplished—or just exhausted?
- When was the last time I stretched instead of coasted?
- Am I moving toward my goals—or just spinning in motion?
If any of those questions make you pause, it’s time for a course correction.
Why Coaching Matters
Here’s the problem with drift: you rarely notice it while you’re in it.
A coach works like a compass—helping you check your bearings, reset your anchor, and aim at the right destination.
Without that compass—and accountability—drift continues until the cost is high: lost revenue, burned-out teams, eroded confidence, missed opportunities.
The sooner you catch it, the sooner you shift from drift to drive.
Your Invitation
Every leader and sales pro drifts—but the danger is staying there. The difference between those who stall and those who grow is whether they course correct.
If you’re ready to stop drifting and start driving again, let’s talk.
Coaching doesn’t just point out where you’ve wandered—it gives you clarity, systems, and accountability to move forward with purpose.
DM me to schedule a call.
P.S. Here are two small steps you can take today:
1. Grab a copy of Chris Robinson’s book From Drift to Drive—it’s packed with practical insight.
2. Start a simple daily habit: write down your top three goals. Make sure they align with your long-term vision, and only list what you’re truly committed to completing.
#Leadership #SalesLeadership #BusinessLeadership #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #GrowthMindset #FromDriftToDrive #ChrisRobinson
