Paint Done Before You Move
Reaction isn’t leadership.
That’s what my coach told me when I admitted how reactive my days had become.
Meeting after meeting, conversation after conversation - all of them centered on “next actions.” What needed to happen next. What would show visible progress. What does someone else need to do?
The problem? We weren’t chasing strategy. We were chasing motion.
It looked like progress, but it wasn’t going anywhere.
That’s when my coach asked a simple question:
“Have you Painted Done?”
What “Painting Done” Means
Painting Done is the discipline of describing the finish line before you start moving.
What does done actually look like?
Why does it matter?
What will be true when we arrive there?
Painting Done requires discipline. It takes strength to resist the urge to move just for the sake of motion. Slowing down to clarify the finish line is a deeper strength than speeding ahead without direction.
When urgency takes over, the instinct is to move fast. But speed without direction is noise.
Leadership involves stepping back, articulating the goal, and then mapping the path back.
The Fear That Stops Us
Often, we assume everyone else already knows what Done looks like. We don’t ask because we’re afraid we’ll look uninformed. Vulnerability feels risky, so we keep moving, hoping that busy motion will cover the lack of clarity.
But that silence is costly. It leaves teams unaligned, exhausted, and discouraged.
The truth is, most people are asking the same question in their heads: “What are we actually trying to achieve?” They’re just waiting for someone brave enough to say it out loud.
Leadership in Three Moves
When you feel the drift of reactivity, practice this:
Step Back – Slow the urgency long enough to see the bigger picture.
Paint Done – Articulate the finish line. What does success look like, and why does it matter?
Share the Path – Connect others to the vision. Invite collaboration, support, and insight.
Sharing Done requires courage. It’s vulnerable to put your picture of success on the table and invite others to weigh in. But unyielding determination is not about charging ahead alone—it’s about boldly rallying others around clarity and direction.
Patrick Lencioni calls leaders the “Chief Reminding Officer.” True leadership is not about saying something once and assuming it sticks. It’s about consistently reminding people where you’re going and why it matters—especially when chaos tempts them to forget.
Why This Matters
When you Paint Done, you give people more than a task—you give them clarity, purpose, and confidence.
And when you share Done, you invite others into the work with you. Support grows. Encouragement multiplies. Collective insight strengthens the plan.
It requires vulnerability to say, “I don’t know if we’re all picturing the same finish line—let’s align.” But that vulnerability is leadership.
Reflection and Challenge
Where are you confusing motion with progress?
What would it look like if you slowed down and Painted Done before moving forward?
Who needs to hear your picture of Done, so they can align and strengthen it with you?
Disciplined strength helps you resist the pull of reactivity.
Unyielding determination helps you keep painting Done, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Together, they transform noise into direction.