Lean Quote: Closing the Knowing–Doing Gap

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"The greatest gap in the world is the gap between knowing and doing."   —  John C. Maxwell

Many organizations are full of smart people who know exactly what should be done—yet, somehow, it doesn’t get done. This gap between knowledge and action costs time, opportunities, and momentum.

Managers often see valuable opportunities, but hesitation, over-analysis, or fear of mistakes prevents them from starting. Even when they do start, the first obstacle can stop progress cold. The inability to take purposeful action is widespread, and crucial issues requiring reflection, planning, creativity, and consistent effort often get postponed indefinitely.

If you do nothing, nothing changes. Inertia is powerful—things at rest tend to stay at rest. And while it’s natural to want the perfect plan before taking action, perfection is the enemy of momentum. A 50% improvement implemented today beats a theoretical 100% improvement that never leaves the whiteboard.

The only cure for inactivity is action. The first step in building a culture of execution is creating a bias toward action—making “do something now” the default.

How to Reduce the Gap Between Knowing and Doing

1. Start Small, Start Now
• Break large goals into quick, low-risk actions you can take immediately.
• Example: Instead of analyzing a process problem for weeks, run a quick trial solution on one workstation.
2. Make It Safe to Try—and Fail
• Reward initiative, not just outcomes.
• Treat mistakes as learning investments, not career-limiting moves.
3. Set Short Feedback Loops
• Replace long, drawn-out project cycles with rapid check-ins and adjustments.
• Quick learning cycles make it easier to see progress and maintain momentum.
4. Measure Action, Not Just Ideas
• Track “execution metrics” like number of experiments run, pilot projects launched, or issues resolved—not just meetings held or plans made.
5. Recognize and Celebrate Movers
• Publicly acknowledge employees who move projects forward, even in small ways.
• Stories of action create peer pressure to act.
6. Simplify the First Step
• Remove unnecessary approvals, overly complex templates, or ambiguous ownership that slow down action.
7. Model It From the Top
• Leaders must be the first to move from idea to test. When the team sees action modeled at the top, it becomes part of the culture.

By reducing the friction between knowing and doing, you create an environment where action is the norm, hesitation is the exception, and learning comes from trying. The knowing–doing gap doesn’t close by thinking harder—it closes by acting sooner.