Hitting Ceilings of Change
“I am the bottleneck. Everyone comes to me with their key decisions. In order for us to mature as an organization, I know this needs to change. I am trying different techniques and they have helped and I recognize the need for something more. I really need a significant shift to happen. People need to feel empowered to decide and act. Not only that, I want them to experience their own agency, leadership and be empowered. I want to make the shift organizationally to a teal organization – one where self and collective leadership co-exist. We need to develop organizationally.”
These were the opening words from a CEO running a large multinational company. The conventional solutions – delegation structures, decision-making frameworks, regular coaching sessions, and leadership training programs – had all been implemented and maxed out. He was hungry for a more dramatic shift in his organization, the kind of transformation that business journals celebrate but rarely explain how to achieve.
Beyond the What and How
In my initial discovery conversations, it was abundantly clear this wasn’t a case of missing best practices. The organizational checklist was demonstratively complete:
- Clear decision-making matrices in place
- Regular leadership development programs running
- Cross-functional teams established
- Formal delegation structures implemented
- Clear communication channels created
- Regular feedback mechanisms instituted
The team had also adopted many of the “hows” – often named in articles and offered in corporate training(s). Yet something was still missing.
The Invisible Element
What is often overlooked in organizational transformation is the “who” – not just what leaders do or how they do it, but who they are-being while doing it. This dimension can seem intangible or mystical at first glance, which is why it’s often dismissed in favor of more concrete solutions. Yet in my experience, it’s precisely the element that unlocks sustainable and generative change.
A Story of Transformation
In this CEO’s case, the breakthrough came from examining who he was being in his interactions. Despite his best intentions to empower others, his way of being was unconsciously undermining his efforts.
Picture giving someone a carefully chosen gift. Now imagine them politely acknowledging it but never unwrapping it, never discovering what’s inside. That’s how his direct reports felt in conversations with him. On the surface, he was doing everything “right” – asking for input, creating space, offering support. But something deeper was missing: the genuine receipt and integration of others’ contributions.
Through our work together, we discovered he was operating from a deeply ingrained story of “the one with the answers” and “we need to move quickly.” Even when he appeared to listen, he wasn’t truly allowing others’ perspectives to impact his own. The shift came when he learned to embody a different way of being – one where he could genuinely receive, be impacted, and let that impact be visible to others. This shift changed how people felt in their interactions with him and transformed how they behaved. How we act is deeply embedded in our internal structures (how we feel, the state of our body, etc).
This transformation manifested in subtle but powerful ways:
- Meetings shifted from presentation forums to genuine dialogues
- Team members began initiating more strategic conversations
- Innovation started emerging from unexpected places in the organization
- Decision-making naturally distributed itself across the organization
Ten years later, this CEO describes that shift in his way of being as the catalyst that transformed his organization. The changes we initiated continue to compound, creating an environment where both individual and collective leadership flourish.
The Heart of Change
What made the difference was attending to who he was being in each moment and sustaining this shift through intensely nuanced practices and exercises. This involved developing:
- Somatic awareness to be fully present in conversations
- Emotional capacity to feel and show the impact of others’ contributions
- Mental flexibility to let new perspectives genuinely alter his thinking
- Slowing down his internal state to allow for a change in mood and possibility
As human beings, we’re exquisitely attuned to these subtle dynamics, even when we can’t articulate them. When a leader transforms their way of being, it creates ripples throughout the entire organization, opening new possibilities for everyone involved.
I’m here. Reach out and we discuss more fully the transformative power of working with your “who.”
To what’s possible,
Adam Klein