Final answer:
When a company fails to achieve an extreme stretch goal, it can lead to a critical evaluation of strategies, resource realignment, and spur resilience and strategic adaptation, despite the initial disappointment.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a company strives to achieve an extreme stretch goal but fails because the goal was too difficult, several outcomes are possible. One potential consequence is that this ambitious attempt could reveal gaps and deficiencies in current strategies or operations, prompting a re-evaluation of goals and methods. This re-evaluation process often leads to realigning resources, altering course, and innovating to better meet achievable objectives. While failure to reach a stretch goal could be disheartening, it may also serve as a critical learning experience that fosters resilience and strategic adaptation. In this sense, the pursuit of high-reaching goals, even those unachieved, can still contribute to long-term success by providing valuable insights and sparking transformation before it becomes a matter of critical urgency.