There is a shift happening inside organizations right now.
The pace is accelerating. Expectations are rising. And the margin for sitting back and waiting for clarity has nearly disappeared.
More and more companies are asking their teams to move with urgency. And it’s becoming increasingly obvious who is operating with that urgency—and who is quietly leaning out.
Leaders and teams are no longer in a position where they can afford to simply wait for things to settle down.
I know what the waiting looks like.
Early in my corporate career, I was part of an executive team navigating, what felt like, constant change. We were in growth mode, under pressure to hit ambitious targets. Product teams were chasing the “shiny pennies.” New initiatives would surface quickly—sometimes to close a deal before year-end, sometimes to respond to a competitor, sometimes just hoping to find the bluebird that would fix everything.
The pattern was predictable.
A big idea would launch.
Energy would spike.
Resources would shift.
And then, before the strategy had time to fully take hold, another pivot would arrive.
Over time, something subtle happened … leaders across the organization became conditioned to it.
You could hear it in quiet hallway conversations:
“If we wait long enough, this will change again.”
“Don’t get too invested.”
“Let’s just see where this lands.”
It wasn’t laziness. It was self-protection.
When change feels temporary, when direction shifts frequently, you learn to conserve your energy. You learn not to overcommit emotionally or strategically.
Instead of leaning in to shape the change, you may begin to lean back.
In looking back on that experience, I will admit that many of those initiatives did fade or morph into something else. So for a while, that strategy worked.
But it doesn’t anymore.
This speed of change is different. The scope of transformation is broader. Technology, AI, market shifts, talent expectations—everything is moving at once. Sitting back and waiting for it to pass is no longer a neutral stance. It’s visible.
And costly.
We are no longer operating in an environment where change cycles quietly reset themselves. The speed of transformation—driven by technology, AI, evolving customer expectations, and global uncertainty—means that leaders who hesitate stand out.
And the data reinforces this reality.
McKinsey has long reported that nearly 70% of transformation efforts fail, with the most common reasons being employee resistance and lack of management support—not flawed strategy. In other words, it’s not the plan that fails, it’s the leadership behavior around the plan.
Gallup research also shows that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in team engagement. When leaders are disengaged, hesitant, or resistant to change, their teams feel it immediately—and performance follows.
When you lean out, your team does too.
When you lean in—demonstrating curiosity, courage, and openness—your team has permission to do the same.
When I talk about “going faster,” I am not talking about piling more work onto already full plates. I am not suggesting reactive decision-making or abandoning thoughtful planning.
I am talking about speed in:
The leaders who are thriving right now are not necessarily the ones executing the most tasks. They are the ones who are quickest to reframe. They move more rapidly from resistance to curiosity. They transition more quickly from “Why are we doing this?” to “What opportunity might this create?”
That kind of internal agility is what organizations need.
When a leader leans out—emotionally or intellectually—it becomes apparent. In meetings, they are quieter. Their language is more cautious. Their energy feels reserved. And teams pick up on that subtle withdrawal.
But when a leader leans in—even without having every answer—the impact is noticeable. They ask thoughtful questions. They engage in shaping the outcome. They model adaptability in real time.
And those are the leadership muscles required for what’s next.
If you are honest with yourself, you likely know the answer.
Change fatigue is real. Transformation can feel relentless. It is human to want stability and clarity before fully committing.
But the leaders who will thrive in this season are not the ones who wait for certainty. They are the ones who build comfort with ambiguity. They understand that leaning in does not require blind optimism—it requires engagement.
Here are three practical ways to assess where you stand and, if needed, recalibrate.
Pay attention to how you talk about change.
Are you using phrases like, “Let’s see how this plays out,” or “This will probably shift again”?
Those statements may feel pragmatic, but they can signal hesitation to your team.
Experiment with language that invites ownership instead:
“What would success look like here?”
“How could we test this thoughtfully?”
“What role can we play in shaping the outcome?”
Language influences mindset, and mindset influences culture.
Your team reads your posture and tone long before they analyze your strategy.
Are you contributing ideas? Asking questions? Demonstrating engagement? Or are you observing from the sidelines, waiting for direction to solidify?
Leaning in does not require dominating conversations. It requires visible participation in building the future.
You do not need sweeping gestures to demonstrate commitment.
Often, it is the small, consistent signals that matter most: volunteering to pilot an initiative, publicly sharing what you are learning, inviting feedback on how you are adapting.
These actions communicate forward motion. They signal that you are not waiting for change to pass—you are helping shape it.
The future will not belong solely to the most experienced leaders or the most technically skilled. It will belong to those who are adaptable enough to evolve alongside the change.
Adaptability is not about constant reinvention. It is about maintaining engagement when conditions shift. It is about choosing curiosity over cynicism and contribution over observation. It is about modeling for your team that forward motion is possible—even when the path is not perfectly clear.
The pace of change isn’t slowing down.
But how you show up inside of it is still within your control.
So here’s the question I’ll leave you with:
Where are you leaning?
And what would shift if you leaned in just 10% more this month?
If you’re recognizing areas where you may have been leaning back—or if you want to strengthen your ability to lead with greater adaptability, clarity, and intention in this next season—I’d love to partner with you.
