By: John S. Morlu II, CPA
We’ve all heard it:
“I want you to see the bigger picture.”
“Think 100X!”
“Come on, dream big!”
These phrases are tossed around like confetti at a pep rally — by CEOs, pastors, motivational speakers, and your one friend who just started drop-shipping glow-in-the-dark dog leashes. But let’s be honest: if everyone saw the “bigger picture,” the world would fall apart by lunchtime.
Let’s break this down, with some fun, some facts, and a healthy scoop of reality.
1. Not Everyone’s a Visionary — and That’s Okay
Only about 5% of people can truly think in long-term, system-wide, future-shaping, world-bending ways. These are the Elon Musks, the Steve Jobs, the Oprah Winfreys, the crazy aunties who saw the pandemic coming because their cat acted funny on New Year’s Eve.
These folks are the ones who think in galaxies, not neighborhoods. They’ll turn a napkin doodle into a billion-dollar startup. They don’t just see what’s coming — they build what’s coming.
The other 95%? They’re not dumb. They just have jobs. They grind. They pay taxes. They watch Wheel of Fortune and eat leftovers and Google “how to file taxes with missing W-2.”
Fun Fact: If every single person in your office started “thinking like a CEO,” the coffee machine would explode from neglect. You’d have 10 people drawing logos, 15 debating slogans, and not one person actually answering customer emails.
2. The World Needs Cogs Too
We treat the word “cog” like an insult. “You’re just a cog in the machine!” people say, usually while sipping a $7 latte made by a cog in the machine.
Well guess what? Machines don’t run without cogs.
Try building an iPhone with 200 visionaries in a room. You’ll get 200 ideas and zero phones.
You need the person who shows up on time. Follows the checklist. Clocks out. Goes home. Rinse and repeat.
These are the people who don’t need a whiteboard to feel alive. They just want to do their job and get paid — and honestly, that’s noble. That’s stability. That’s how the world stays standing while the dreamers are off chasing their next pivot.
Interesting Tidbit: NASA had thousands of engineers and technicians who never went to space. But without them, no one would’ve ever left Earth.
3. Theory X vs. Theory Y — aka The Real Life Sorting Hat
Back in the 1960s, a smart guy named Douglas McGregor came up with Theory X and Theory Y to describe two types of workers:
- Theory X folks: Need supervision, structure, reminders, maybe a cattle prod (kidding… kinda).
- Theory Y folks: Self-driven, motivated, love feedback, read books on weekends.
Now let’s do some easy math:
Out of that 95% who aren’t visionaries, only about 20% are Theory Y — the reliable soldiers, the self-motivated doers.
That means a whopping 75% of people need structure, rules, and reminders not to microwave fish in the break room. (Again.)
Let’s not pretend like everyone is out here chasing KPIs and crushing goals. A lot of folks are just trying to make it to Friday without quitting or committing a felony.
4. Stop Expecting Everyone to Think 100X
Telling someone who’s just trying to pay rent to “think like a billionaire” is like telling a goat to do calculus. It’s not gonna happen, and it’s rude to the goat.
And the goat has better boundaries, too.
Real Talk:
Sometimes the pressure to “see the bigger picture” is really just a cry of frustration from a leader who feels alone. But forcing vision on people who don’t want it — or worse, can’t handle it — leads to burnout, resentment, and broken Keurig machines.
Most people just want stability, clarity, and a paycheck that clears before rent is due. Not everyone wants to work 18-hour days, drink lukewarm coffee, and live on granola bars while chasing a dream with no sleep and no guarantee.
And that’s perfectly fine. Dreamers need doers.
Fun Fact: Even Thomas Edison needed people to actually build the lightbulb — and he took all the credit.
5. The Secret Sauce: Let Everyone Play Their Role
If you’re part of the 5%, think big. Build. Dream. Risk it all. Be the mad scientist in the lab, the coach with the vision, the person giving TED Talks in your sleep.
If you’re part of the 95%, grind with pride. Build stability. Take the check. Enjoy your weekend. You’re the quiet force keeping the rocket on the launchpad. You’re not less — you’re essential.
Fun Fact: Air traffic controllers have one of the most stressful jobs in the world. Not because they think 100X — but because they focus 100% on keeping planes from crashing. That’s not vision. That’s precision. And we’re all grateful for it.
Same with teachers. Same with garbage collectors. Same with the person who restocks the grocery shelves at 2AM.
Final Word: The World Isn’t Flat — and Neither Is the Org Chart
We need farmers and founders. Janitors and generals. Cooks and coders. We need the 5% who think like aliens — and the 95% who keep Earth spinning.
Because someone’s gotta hold the ladder while the other one paints the dream.
So next time someone tells you to “think bigger,” smile politely and ask,
“Who’s going to keep the lights on while you do all that thinking?”
And if they don’t have a good answer, remind them:
The dreamer may draw the map — but it’s the team that paves the road.
Now go forth. Grind or dream — just don’t microwave fish at work.
If you’re the CEO, Pastor, or leader, find the 5% who are 100X — and forget the rest.
About the Author
John is an entrepreneur, strategist, and founder of JS Morlu, LLC, a Virginia based CPA firm with multiple software ventures including www.FinovatePro.com, www.Recksoft.com and www.Fixaars.com . With operations spanning multiple countries, John is on a mission to build global infrastructure that empowers small businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals to thrive in an increasingly competitive world. He believes in hard truths, smart execution, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. When he’s not writing or building, he’s challenging someone to a productivity contest—or inventing software that automates it.
