The power of clarity

𝘛𝘓𝘋𝘙: 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬?

Last month, my husband completed the MR340 – a nonstop, 340-mile paddling race on the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Louis – in 59 hours and 10 minutes.

We drove him to the starting line in KC, tracked his progress day and night, and were waiting to cheer him in at the finish after such an incredible feat. What stood out to me wasn’t just the physical endurance required (though—wow). It was his level of clarity.

Having paddled thousands of miles to-date, researched ad nauseam, and with one MR340 under his belt, he knew:
• Exactly where he needed to be, nearly down to the minute
• What gear was essential—and what would slow him down
• How to fuel and rest to sustain momentum
• What might challenge him vs rejuvenate him (see: morning sunrise photo)
• How to ask for specific support

That kind of clarity made his effort sustainable. It helped steady him across 340 miles of current, serious fatigue (he only slept for 20 minutes), and unexpected challenges.

As I do a lot, I think about how this applies to my work with organizations and their leaders. What if our teams had this level of clarity from us? Clarity about:
• Where we’re headed, and what it will take to get there
• What to prioritize, and what to let go of
• When to push through—and when the only option is rest
• How to ask for what we need and support each other

Clarity is powerful. It signals intention. It empowers people to do their best work. It keeps us motivated when things get hard. It aligns us around shared goals and strengthens accountability. Clarity moves us forward in ways that are sustainable and healthy.

𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠?