Drop Anchor on Perfect: Why Real Leaders Set Sail with "Good Enough"

Hands up if you’ve been there. Lost weekends, late nights, fueled by coffee, all chasing that mythical creature: the airtight, can’t-fail, “perfect plan.” Gantt charts that look like works of art. Market analysis that could win awards. Strategies so detailed, they’re practically novels. We’ve all been there, right? Searching for solid ground in a world that’s… well, quicksand.

But what if that search for “perfect” is actually anchoring you down? What if the leaders who are truly sailing ahead, the ones actually navigating this crazy ocean, understand something different? The power of “good enough.”

Think about it. This is warp speed. Waiting for “perfect info” today? That’s like waiting for the tide to turn while your ship’s drifting further and further off course. By the time you’ve debated every angle, crunched every number, and finally declared “perfection”… the world’s changed the rules. Opportunities? They’ve caught the wind and gone. Crises? They’re already breaking over the bow. Momentum? Stalled. Dead calm.

The leaders who get it, they understand the ocean’s rhythm. They know you can’t wait for perfect weather to set sail. They gather what’s essential – the compass, the stars, a sense of the currents. Then? They act. They commit. They move. Because they know, out on the open water, action itself is often the best navigation. Action is learning. Action is adapting. Action is how you truly find your Wayfinder’s path.

“Good enough” planning isn’t throwing caution to the wind. It’s not about reckless sailing. It’s about building a different kind of vessel – one that’s agile, responsive, and built to move. It’s about sketching the coastline, not drawing every rock and ripple in rigid detail. It’s about having a course to steer by, but knowing you’ll need to adjust your sails, to pivot fast, to use the real-world feedback – the winds in your face, the waves at your hull – to guide you. That’s the flexible leader’s advantage. That’s the power of dropping anchor on “perfect” and hoisting the sails of “good enough.”

Join other leaders who are learning to navigate change, together. Sign up for my newsletter. Let’s explore these Nautical Leadership ideas, find some real tools, and start charting a course forward, together.

https://www.davechauhan.com

By Dave Chauhan, leadership strategist, speaker and author of Captain, Set Sail and co-founder of Purple Spark Advisory