The Hidden Cost of Being Good Enough

ALIGNMENT, EXECUTION 2025-05-08 Robert Courser

“Good is the enemy of great.” – Jim Collins

In this automotive parts company, “good” wasn’t the problem — it was the plateau. Leadership wasn’t failing. Strategy wasn’t broken. Teams were engaged. Metrics were in place. But despite all that… something was holding the organization back from achieving greatness.

That something was alignment. Or more accurately, misalignment hiding in plain sight — something only the Line-of-Sight℠ Organizational Health Scan could fully expose.

The Illusion of “Good Enough”

With an overall Organizational Health Index of 74%, the company scored above average in every key area:
- Strategic Understanding: 75%
- Leadership: 72%
- Balanced Metrics: 69%
- Activities & Structure: 77%
- Human Capital: 73%

On the surface, these numbers tell a feel-good story — a company that’s running well. But Line-of-Sight℠ doesn't just surface averages. It uncovers the confidence behind the numbers — and how much clarity and alignment truly exist behind everyday decision-making.

When “Good” Becomes a Barrier to “Great”

The real challenge? Most of the scores reflected partial alignment. That’s a risk.

- Employees understood the strategy, but not everyone knew how their actions tied back to it.
- Leaders were credible, but not always clear and actionable in their communication.
- Metrics were present, but didn’t always drive the right behaviors.
- Teams were active, but not always focused on the most value-creating work.

In short, the pieces were there — but the connection between them wasn’t tight enough. Without that tight connection, “good” becomes a comfort zone… and the enemy of meaningful transformation.

The Line-of-Sight℠ Breakthrough

Line-of-Sight℠ didn’t just highlight what was working — it illuminated where the hidden gaps were:

Activities & Structure (77%): The strongest score — employees had a sense of how their work contributed to customer value. But there was opportunity to sharpen focus on the “critical few” tasks that truly move the needle.

Leadership (72%): Credible, but communication could be more consistent and actionable, especially when guiding change.

📊Balanced Metrics (69%): A good foundation of indicators, but the link between budgeting, KPIs, and strategy could be tighter.

Strategic Understanding (75%): Employees had clarity, but confidence varied — especially around competitors and differentiation.

Human Capital (73%): Talent was strong, but knowledge sharing and training could be more strategy-driven, not trend-driven.

From Good to Great: What Happens Next?

Line-of-Sight℠ helped company leaders ask the right questions:

- Are we measuring what really matters?
- Are we communicating strategy so that it sticks?
- Are we using our strategy to make tough trade-offs — not just feel-good decisions?

The result was an immediate roadmap: focus efforts, improve cross-functional clarity, and strengthen the strategic connection between teams, talent, and tasks.

Final Thought

“Good” is the safe zone. It’s where most companies live.
But the cost of staying there is missed opportunity, watered-down impact, and eventually — irrelevance.

Line-of-Sight℠ showed this automotive company that the leap from good to great isn’t about revolution. It’s about alignment, clarity, and execution discipline.

Because in the end, greatness doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from aligning what matters most.