Seth Godin explains why successful systems become invisible, embedded so deeply in culture they feel normal. Most people optimize within existing systems instead of redesigning them. True strategy means stepping back to diagnose and rebuild the system itself, not just work harder inside it.
I've had the problem my whole life, and I don't know anyone who doesn't have the problem, because systems— existing powerful successful systems— are very good at hiding. They create culture to establish themselves as normal, and once we see that the system we're in is normal, we're like goldfish that don't notice the water. And I'm not sure I could teach goldfish what water is, but I'm pretty sure I can help people realize that there are these unseen, undiscussed systems that they take as normal and live within them, as opposed to taking a step back and saying, 'Oh, this is what's getting us the results we don't want.' We could use effort to change the system or plan a new system that would get us the outputs we do want. But if you rush over this part, you have no chance of doing strategy. What you're actually doing is tactics. What you're actually doing is figuring out how to spend time and money being busy, but you've accepted the existing system. You haven't figured out what it is or how to change it.
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