Breaking the Start–Stop–Spin Cycle: Capacity Planning for Sustainable Leadership
Every leader knows the rush of a new idea.
The energy is electric. The vision is clear. You’re ready to move. —> That’s the Start.
But somewhere between the launch meeting and the first milestone, reality sets in: shifting priorities, competing projects, budget freezes, or an unexpected resignation. Momentum slows. —> That’s the Stop.
And then the spin begins — rehashing decisions, juggling partial progress, putting out fires, and wondering if the project will ever actually land. —> That’s the Spin.
The cycle is exhausting — for leaders, teams, and organizations. And the truth is, it’s not about motivation, discipline, or wanting it badly enough. It’s about capacity.
Why Start–Stop–Spin Is So Common in Leadership
Leaders are rewarded for momentum. Starting strong gets noticed. So does delivering fast wins.
But capacity — yours, your team’s, your organization’s — isn’t a constant.
High-capacity seasons are rare. Most of the time, you’re balancing initiatives with operational demands, people issues, and external factors you can’t control.
When you launch without checking capacity, you create conditions for:
Overcommitment: Too many priorities competing for the same resources.
Burnout: Teams running at a sprint pace in marathon conditions.
Erosion of trust: Projects stall, morale dips, and employees disengage.
Each time a project spins out, the cost isn’t just time or money — it’s credibility. And rebuilding that trust is harder than launching the next idea.
The Case for Capacity-Based Leadership
In my coaching with high-functioning women navigating ADHD and midlife transitions, I use a tool called the MVP Menu — Minimum Viable Productivity.
It’s a capacity-matched task list for different “energy days” (high, medium, low) so progress continues without burnout.
Leaders can — and should — apply the same principle at the organizational level.
Instead of expecting 100% output every quarter, match your initiatives to your current capacity state:
High Capacity
You have the people, budget, and clarity to move. This is your window to:
Launch a strategic initiative.
Invest in innovation or expansion.
Pilot bold changes with room for learning curves.
Example: A manufacturing company with strong Q2 revenue and no major operational disruptions invests in an automation upgrade that’s been on hold for a year.
Medium Capacity
You’re steady but stretched. This is the time to:
Optimize existing processes.
Strengthen internal capabilities (training, cross-skilling).
Address nagging inefficiencies that slow everyday work.
Example: A SaaS team shifts from feature launches to refining onboarding workflows, reducing customer churn, and improving speed-to-value.
Low Capacity
Resources are thin. People are tired. Focus on stability:
Maintain core operations.
Protect employee wellbeing.
Defer non-essential projects until capacity improves.
Example: After a major product recall, a CPG company freezes new initiatives, focuses on recovery operations, and invests in employee support to prevent attrition.
Why Capacity Planning Works
Reduces decision fatigue: Clear criteria for “what we can handle now” means fewer endless debates.
Protects your people: No more pushing for sprints when the tank is empty.
Keeps momentum alive: Projects move at the right pace instead of stalling completely.
Builds resilience: Your organization can adapt to change without constant firefighting.
Capacity planning isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing the right things at the right time — and avoiding the high cost of Start–Stop–Spin.
Making It Practical
Here’s how to bring capacity planning into your leadership rhythm:
Assess Capacity Quarterly
Look beyond budget — factor in morale, turnover risk, market pressures, and operational load.Set Capacity-Aligned Goals
For each quarter, define what “success” looks like in high-, medium-, and low-capacity states.Communicate the Why
Explain to your team why certain projects are paused or prioritized — transparency builds trust.Build Your Leadership MVP Menu
Create a three-tiered menu of actions, initiatives, and decisions matched to capacity. Revisit it monthly.
The Leadership Shift
Sustainable leadership isn’t about staying in Start mode.
It’s about knowing when to pause, when to protect, and when to push.
Your job isn’t to keep everyone at 100% all the time.
Your job is to design systems that hold under pressure — so your team and your strategy can survive the spin.
If you want to explore how capacity-based planning can transform your leadership and protect your teams, I offer strategic HR consulting and executive coaching designed for real-world conditions.
