The Source of the Waterwheel

Every waterwheel has a source, a point where movement begins. In Pendleton’s model, that source is vision: clarity of direction, purpose and intent. Without it, the wheel simply doesn’t turn. In business, it’s no different.

Why vision comes first

A clear vision does three essential things:

1. It sets a direction worth moving towards

People don’t produce momentum for the sake of motion, they commit when they understand why it matters.

2. It informs every strategic choice

Without an anchor point, teams default to short-term fixes or “more of the same.” Clarity prevents drift.

3. It aligns leadership and teams

Even the most capable people can’t create flow if they’re pulling in different directions.

I see this often when organisations are preparing for growth, entering new markets or restructuring. They’re full of potential, but not pointed at anything specific. Strategy becomes a set of ideas instead of a commercial direction.

The cost of missing clarity

When the source of the wheel is weak or undefined, you see the symptoms fast:

• Conflicting priorities within leadership teams

• Projects that begin without a real objective

• Teams busy, but output not moving the business forward

• Strategy reduced to slide decks instead of decisions

It’s not a failure of effort, it’s a failure of direction.

Vision doesn’t have to be abstract

A common misconception is that “vision” means big language or a statement on a wall. In practice, it’s far simpler and more powerful:

• What exactly are we trying to move towards?

• Why does that direction matter commercially?

• What will change if we get there?

• What won’t we pursue along the way?

A good vision creates focus, not fluff.

How I use this with clients

When I work with founders, boards or leadership teams, we don’t start with tactics, we start with direction. Even businesses that are already established benefit from revisiting the source of their wheel.

Often, it takes just one conversation to unlock clarity. Once the direction is defined, strategy becomes sharper and decision making becomes faster. That’s when the rest of the wheel can start turning with intent.

The takeaway

You don’t need dozens of initiatives to create momentum, you need clarity at the source.

In Pendleton’s Waterwheel, nothing moves until the vision flows. And once it does, everything else has something to turn around.