“We’ve Gone Too Far” - Knowing When to Pivot, and When to Stay the Course
In the 2004 raunchy comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, two friends set off on a chaotic, burger-fueled quest. Early in the film, as they’re walking down the hallway, one of them realizes he left his cellphone in their apartment. Rather than turn back, his friend shrugs and says, “Nah, we’ve gone too far.”
That same “we’ve gone too far” mindset shows up in leadership more than we care to admit - and the consequences aren’t typically as hilarious.
As leaders, we are constantly making judgment calls—and that's especially true when something feels off track.
One of the hardest decisions is knowing whether to stay the course or pivot.
It’s easy to assume that if a project isn’t going smoothly, it must be time to change direction. But leadership isn’t that binary. Sometimes the plan is solid - the issue lies somewhere else.
We’ve all been there. Stakeholders get restless. They haven’t seen updates, they’re not thrilled with the pace, or they’re simply not looped into the right conversations.
Their perception becomes their reality: “Nothing is getting done.”
In response, leaders pivot. Not because the data supports it - but because the pressure demands it. And now, you’re launching a brand-new strategy when the old one just needed better communication and alignment.
Staying the course isn’t always about ego or stubbornness. Sometimes it’s absolutely the right move - but only if you’re doing the work to earn that decision:
You’re regularly checking your assumptions - and your ego.
You’re giving timely, honest updates (not just the good news or meaningless fluff).
You’re listening to feedback without reacting out of fear.
You’re measuring real progress—not just how things look.
But let’s be honest: sometimes leaders do stick with plans that clearly aren’t working. Whether it’s pride/ego, sunk-cost bias, or fear of appearing indecisive, holding onto a failing strategy too long can cost your team time, energy, and trust.
Strong leaders recognize the signs when it’s time to pivot - and they know how to do it without losing credibility.
When it’s time to change directions, strong leaders can:
Make the pivot strategic, not reactive.
Tie the shift back to the original mission.
Communicate the change with confidence, clarity, and purpose.
Great leadership lives in the tension between resilience and adaptability. You need the grit to keep moving forward when things get tough - and the wisdom to know when forward actually means changing direction. Neither staying the course nor pivoting is inherently right or wrong - it all comes down to timing, awareness, and communication.
At the end of the day, your team is counting on you not just to make the right call, but to bring them along with you. And that requires more than instinct - it requires clarity, humility, and the ability to communicate why the direction still makes sense, whether it changes or not.