Change is often framed as a strategic exercise. New plans. New structures. New initiatives designed to fix problems that keep resurfacing. Whether or not fixing the same problems over and over again is a mark of success in said strategic exercises is a debate for another article.... so let's focus on the merits of change as strategy. But how many change management teams and organizations actually understand the dynamics of change from the ground floor? What makes real ch

Much of today’s training is rooted in what adult-development researchers call horizontal learning: the accumulation of knowledge and techniques. More frameworks. More tools. More strategies. It is efficient, measurable, and familiar. Vertical learning operates differently. It changes how meaning is made. Faced with the same conflict, the individual notices their own physiological response. The tightening in the chest. The urge to defend. Instead of reacting automatically, th

When organizations struggle with alignment, the default response is usually the same: "We need to be clearer." Clearer strategy. Clearer goals. Clearer communication. To be fair, clarity does matter. People can't move in the same direction if they don't understand where they're going. Clear goals and directives are a fine balance between details and broad overview. But here's the uncomfortable truth you will eventually confront: you can have complete clarity and still have m

Every quarter, organizations launch initiatives to increase speed and agility. Yet ironically, the very people tasked with accelerating...

Can we have an honest and candid conversation about the state of leadership - especially on LinkedIn? It feels very....plastic (to borrow...

This article is a reprint from its original source Here’s a brutal truth: every system is perfectly designed to get the results it...

Leadership can feel lonely. Even when you’re surrounded by people, carrying the weight of decision-making and responsibility often feels...

Sometimes the most damaging decisions we make as leaders are the ones that feel the most compassionate or pragmatic in the moment. We act...

Image Generated by AI When confronted with complex challenges, we instinctively look outward for culprits. This tends to happen across...

Resiliency and adaptability are everywhere these days—on resumes, mission statements, and leadership offsites. They’re the traits...

Image Generated By AI Multiple sources have stated that AI will flatten organization structures in the future. That sounds innocuous to...

Most leaders learn to avoid conflict. Keep things smooth. Get everyone aligned quickly. But when you're dealing with complex challenges...

Most of us are comfortable with the idea of skill-building—taking courses, learning new tools, practicing communication techniques. This...

Image Generated by AI When Your Company Values Start Fighting Each Other Most leaders have a clean list of company values they can refer...

Image Generated By AI Employee engagement is down. Again. And yet, the go-to responses remain the same: roll out a new perk, launch a...

Image Generated With AI There is an interesting paradox that exists in human systems (i.e organizations, families, government,...

Image Generated AI Most leadership definitions feel sanitized. They speak of "inspiring teams," "driving results," or "setting...

Note from the Author: Eric is spending the week at Harvard University fully immersed in Adaptive Leadership conversations with...

The Symptoms of Competing Values Your strategy meetings drag on for hours. Projects stall in endless approval loops. Teams feel...

The Leadership Misconception Leadership has become one of the most misunderstood words in the workplace. When we think of great leaders,...