Casting Vision: Why You Can’t Lead a Team Without a North Star

 By Jay Jacobson, Founder of Jay’s Cookies & Jacobson Professional Staffing

I remember one late night in the kitchen. Trays of cookies cooled on the counter while I boxed up an order for a client. My phone buzzed with emails, and for a moment, it felt like success was finally catching up to us. Business was steady, orders were coming in, and people were noticing what we were building. Yet even in that busy moment, a question pressed in: were we just working hard, or were we actually building something that mattered?

That question followed me until a book helped me name it. Simon Sinek’s Start With Why landed like a jolt to the chest: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” It forced me to step back from the rush of production and ask myself, What is my purpose here? What do I want to build, and why does it matter?

Not long after, I picked up Jim Knight’s Culture That Rocks. That one reminded me that purpose on paper isn’t enough. If your people can’t feel the culture, or worse, if they don’t know what it is, you don’t have a business—you have a machine. Purpose has to be lived, breathed, and experienced, or it will never last.

So I stepped back, let the flour settle, and started casting vision—not just for the next order of cookies, but for the kind of culture and legacy I wanted to create.

What Vision Really Is

Vision isn’t a slogan hanging in the lobby. It’s not the line buried in an employee handbook. And it’s certainly not a mindset of “let’s just get through the day.”

Vision is a clear picture of the future you are building. It tells you why it matters, who it’s for, and what it will look like when you get there. It grounds you when the work is overwhelming and lifts your team when the grind gets heavy. Vision makes the ordinary meaningful and the long-term possible.

And here’s the truth: if you don’t cast the vision, no one else will.

How to Cast Vision That Actually Moves People

You don’t need a retreat center or a whiteboard consultant to begin. What you need is clarity, conviction, and courage.

For me, it didn’t start in a boardroom. It started at the kitchen counter, dishes in the sink, Sharpie in hand, scribbling on the back of a paper towel:

• Why did I start this business?

• What kind of life did I want to build through it?

• Who did I want to serve—and serve with?

• What should someone feel when they taste one of my cookies?

Those paper-towel notes became the backbone of the vision for both Jay’s Cookies and Jacobson Professional Staffing. They weren’t polished, but they were real. And that made them powerful.

Here’s the same process I now walk leaders through:

1. Start With Why

Simon Sinek nailed this: purpose comes before plans. Ask yourself:

• Why did you start this business in the first place?

• Who were you trying to help?

• What gap or frustration were you trying to solve?

• How do you want customers to feel after they experience your work?

For me, Jay’s Cookies wasn’t about sugar and flour. It was about creating comfort, creativity, and connection in a world that felt uncertain. That why became a compass when decisions were hard.

2. Picture the Future You Want to Build

Don’t settle for vague goals like “grow revenue.” Instead, ask:

• What do I want this business to be known for?

• What kind of team do I want around me?

• What impact do I want to leave behind?

If you can picture it, you can pursue it. Vision turns hope into direction.

3. Define the Culture That Supports It

Vision without culture is just a mountaintop without a trail. Jim Knight’s Culture That Rocks made this clear: you need both.

At JPS, we drive culture with three commitments:

• Professionalism: doing the right thing the right way, every time.

• Compassion: caring for people, not just processing tasks.

• Trust: earning it daily, keeping it sacred.

Culture keeps the team aligned and proud of the work they carry forward.

Bonus: Build a Word Picture

One of the most practical things I’ve done was to jot down words that captured the feel I wanted for our brand:

Warm. Honest. Reliable. Approachable. Joyful. Intentional. Real.

Those adjectives became guideposts. They shaped how we trained, how we wrote thank-you notes, even how we greeted customers. Start with adjectives—let them tell you what kind of company you’re really building.

Vision in Action

At Jacobson Professional Staffing, our vision is simple:“We build better businesses by building better people.”

That sentence anchors everything we do. Whether we’re filling a last-minute shift, coaching a manager, or designing a training program, it reminds us that people are not replaceable—they are the foundation. Staffing isn’t about filling holes. It’s about shaping culture, building trust, and leaving lasting impact.

Final Thoughts: A North Star Worth Following

If you don’t define your vision, the world will define it for you—and you won’t like the result.

But when you cast vision with clarity and conviction, you give your team more than a to-do list. You give them a North Star. You create momentum. You invite them to believe in a future they can help build.

So take a quiet moment. Shut out the noise. Ask yourself:What are we building, and why does it matter?

Write it down. Share it boldly. Live it daily. Build a business that rocks, with a culture that lasts, and a vision that lights the way.