"You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems" - James Clear.
In leadership, success rarely hinges on one single trait or action. It’s the balance of three essential dimensions that consistently sets high-performing organisations apart: vision, systems, and people.
Strong leaders understand that while vision inspires and people execute, it's the systems that often make the difference between stumbling and scaling. In fact, when things go wrong, it's not usually the vision or the talent that's to blame—it’s the system.
This brings us to a critical truth in leadership and performance: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
The quote is from the book, Atomic Habits, and is a reminder that it's not enough to just set goals; we also need to have the systems in place to help us achieve those goals. Our systems are the habits and routines that we follow on a daily basis, and they have a profound impact on our ability to reach our goals. If our systems are not aligned with our goals, then we're likely to fall short of those goals.
Clear explains the quote in more details in his book:
"Goals are important, but systems are what actually get you there. Too often, we focus on the outcome we want, but neglect the daily steps necessary to achieve it. This is a recipe for failure. If you want to change your results, you need to change your system."
Imagine a world-class chef walking into a chaotic kitchen. Ingredients are missing, the knives are dull, pans are stacked haphazardly, and no prep has been done. Now imagine that same chef has a goal: to make a flawless, five-course meal by dinner service.
It doesn’t matter how ambitious, inspired, or talented that chef is—the meal is going to be a mess.
Why? Because no goal—no matter how clear or motivating—can compensate for a broken system.
Now flip the scene. Picture a well-run kitchen, where every ingredient is prepped, every tool is within arm’s reach, and every team member knows their role. This isn’t just efficiency; it’s a system. It’s called mise en place—a French culinary term that means “everything in its place.” And in elite kitchens, it’s sacred. It refers to the discipline and organisation a good chef exhibits in the kitchen. To practice mise en place, a chef should have all of their ingredients and supplies prepared and organised before they begin cooking.
A system like mise en place doesn’t just help chefs cook well—it helps them produce high quality consistently, under pressure, night after night. It’s the difference between a good meal and a great kitchen.
Leadership is no different.
In business, this could look like a sales process, a hiring pipeline, a product development cycle, or a decision-making framework. Systems don’t just support goals; they determine whether those goals ever come to life.
One of the most powerful truths in leadership is that you don't rise to the level of your aspirations—you fall to the strength of your routines, your processes, your defaults.
A goal is a snapshot of the future. A system is what gets you there, even on the days you’re tired, distracted, or uninspired.
The best leaders don’t just set direction—they architect systems. They ask:
They understand that systems are the silent engine behind every sustained success.
As Yoda famously said: “Do or do not. There is no try.” In leadership, trying—without structure, intent, or accountability—often leads to wheel-spinning. The difference between activity and meaningful progress is the presence of a system that guides action purposefully and consistently.
When your objectives are clear and your steps are deliberate, success becomes less of a gamble and more of a process. Here’s what that looks like in practice—and where things often go wrong:
A task assigned to everyone gets done by no one. Ownership creates accountability, and accountability fuels execution. Clear roles and responsibilities are non-negotiable in any high-performing system.
In the kitchen, every station has a lead. One person owns the fish. Another owns the sauces. No confusion.
Great systems have a heartbeat. Weekly check-ins, daily standups, monthly reviews—these aren’t just rituals; they create momentum. Without cadence, even the best ideas drift and stall. Rhythm turns good intentions into steady motion.
In the kitchen, service starts at 6:00 p.m. sharp, every night. That rhythm drives readiness.
Too many teams confuse talking with doing. Meetings, strategy decks, and Slack messages are important—but they don’t move the needle on their own. Information must be converted into commitments, decisions, and concrete next steps.
In the kitchen, reading the recipe isn’t the same as chopping the onions.
Ambitious goals are energising—but without breaking them into smaller, achievable parts, they can feel paralysing. Systems help deconstruct complexity into manageable tasks that build toward the vision.
In the kitchen, you don’t “make a five-course meal.” You prep the shallots. You reduce the stock. You plate, course by course.
What gets measured gets managed. Systems must include checkpoints—metrics, dashboards, or visual cues—that let you know where you stand. This feedback loop keeps teams aligned and motivated.
In the kitchen, temperature checks, time stamps, and clean-downs aren’t optional—they’re how excellence is maintained.
A system must not only monitor progress but also learn from it. Regular reflection (what worked, what didn’t, what to adjust) prevents stagnation and enables continuous improvement.
In the kitchen, the head chef tastes dishes and gives real-time feedback to ensure every plate improves over time.
Not all tasks are equal. A system needs a clear method for prioritising what matters most. Without this, even a productive team can spend time on the wrong things.
In the kitchen, when tickets pile up, a chef knows which dish to fire next. Urgency and sequence are managed on purpose.
Progress can stall not due to lack of effort, but due to overload. Systems should account for realistic capacity, preventing burnout and ensuring sustainable performance.
In the kitchen, too many orders for one station? The chef redistributes tasks before quality drops.
One of the most common and costly mistakes leaders make is treating innovation like a side project. As Dave Limp, Amazon’s SVP of Devices, said: “The best way to fail at inventing something is by making it somebody’s part-time job.”
A new product line, a new market entry, a new internal process—it doesn’t matter what it is. If it’s new, it requires focused ownership, time, and resources. Yet too often, organisations—especially ones already running lean—assign “develop the new thing” to someone as a part-time duty. No clear dedication. No space. Just a vague mandate to figure it out in the margins.
That’s a recipe for stagnation.
You cannot create something from scratch in your spare time. You don’t cook a new menu while running the dinner rush. You carve out space, gather ingredients, and test with focus.
Whether it’s a small business trying to build a new revenue stream or a global company rolling out a new digital initiative, novelties demand more than availability—they demand intentional commitment. Even a few dedicated days with full focus can yield more progress than weeks of scattered attention.
Without that, you’ll see telltale signs:
Leaders must do more than assign goals—they must create the conditions for those goals to become real. That means:
In short: if it's important, staff it like it's important.
Beyond performance and productivity, systems also serve a deeper, human function: they create meaning.
When employees operate within a clear system that produces visible results, they experience something powerful—a direct connection between their effort and the outcome. That connection is incredibly motivating. The more clearly they can see the impact of their input, the more committed they become.
Think about the opposite: working hard in chaos, with unclear priorities, shifting expectations, parallel and even competing actions. It’s exhausting. It leads to burnout, disengagement, and a creeping sense that “none of this really matters.”
But with a strong system:
This is where morale thrives. When team members can look at a finished product, a solved problem, or a launched initiative and say, “I helped build that”, their satisfaction deepens. Systems don't just drive performance—they create psychological ownership and pride.
In the kitchen, plating a perfect dish isn't just about feeding a customer. It's a moment of fulfillment for the chef—proof that their craft, effort, and rhythm paid off.
Just like a world-class chef doesn’t rely on willpower or raw talent alone, leaders must build environments where success is engineered, not improvised.
So build systems that lift your people and your vision higher.
