Holding the Vision

Lately in my one-on-one sessions, a quiet theme has been surfacing — founders seeking alignment with their next vision.

They’re asking important questions:
Am I building forward in a way that still feels like me?
Am I acting from clarity — or clinging to what used to feel like success?

It got me thinking…

There’s a rare kind of leader — a founder with vision. Not just a strategic vision for the business, but a deeper one. One that comes from a place of alignment, not ego. One that reflects who they’re becoming, not just what they’re building.

This kind of vision isn’t a checklist. It’s not about chasing one more win.
It’s about truth. It’s about congruence.

But even the clearest vision can stall when the founder gets stuck on when it needs to happen — and what it must look like.

The Identity Behind the Vision

Seneca once wrote:

“We suffer more in imagination than in reality.”

Many founders I work with aren’t struggling because their vision is too big — but because they’re still trying to shape it from their old identity.

They want certainty. A fixed timeline. Proof that it’s working.

But the truth is, this season isn’t about control.
It’s about trust.

It’s about letting the new vision reflect back to you who you are now — not who you were when you first started this business.

What If Vision Is a Mirror?

The most powerful visions don’t come from pressure. They come from presence.

They ask us to get honest about what’s truly within our control:
• Our values
• Our clarity
• Our actions

Not the timeline.
Not the outcome.

What trips up many visionary founders is the belief that things should happen faster. That they should already be “there.”

But letting go of the timeline often creates space for something more authentic — and more aligned — to unfold.

The Paradox of Vision

To lead through transition, you have to live in the paradox:
• Hold the vision tightly, but release the need to control it.
• Care deeply, but don’t grip it out of fear.

The most grounded founders I know are the ones who trust the work that’s unseen just as much as what’s visible.

Like a tree with deep roots, they know the season may shift, but growth still happens.

From Force to Power

Force burns out even the most brilliant leaders.
Power sustains.

Founders who trust the process move with intention, not urgency.
They understand that time compounds. That clarity deepens. That purpose unfolds.

They don’t need to prove their vision — they just need to keep walking toward it with integrity.

Tanya Cross