Agency as Readiness to Choose

Why some systems transform — and others stay stuck

One of the most powerful insights I’ve gained over years of working with organisations is this: agency isn’t the ability to choose; it’s the readiness to choose.

That distinction changes everything.

We often assume that if people have options, they’ll take them. If they have solutions, they’ll use them. If they have pathways, they’ll walk them. But in practice, this isn’t how change works. The presence of possibility does not guarantee action.

In fact, many systems fail not because they lack capacity, but because they lack readiness.

A Case Study: When a System Cannot Choose

A regional community organisation once engaged me to help address long‑standing operational stagnation. The staff were committed and capable. The mission was important. The challenges were solvable. On paper, all the necessary elements for progress were present.

My role was to expand the organisation’s Adjacent Possible—the set of viable next steps the system could realistically pursue. Through structured conversations, practical recommendations, and clear pathways, I opened multiple high‑value options that could have increased capability, coherence, and long‑term sustainability.

But something unexpected happened.

Despite new possibilities being available, the leadership team did not implement any of them. They remained largely absent from key conversations, avoided decision‑making, and did not enter the relational field required for change. No one stepped forward to choose.

And so, nothing changed.

Not because solutions were lacking. Not because people were unwilling. Not because the problems were too complex.

But because readiness was absent.

The organisation had the capacity to improve, but not the readiness to commit, decide, or act. The Adjacent Possible collapsed back into inertia, and the system returned to its previous state.

Why Readiness Matters More Than Capacity

This case illustrates a core principle of organisational life:

Change requires choice. Choice requires agency. Agency requires readiness.

Readiness is the bridge between possibility and reality. It’s the moment when a system — or a leader — steps into responsibility, accepts limitation, and commits to a path. Without readiness, even the best solutions cannot be activated.

This is why some teams transform while others remain stuck. It’s why some leaders create momentum while others create drift. It’s why some organisations evolve, and others stagnate.

Readiness is not a trait. It’s not motivation. It’s not enthusiasm.

Readiness is a moment of activation — the willingness to choose under real limitations.

The Existential Heart of Leadership

When I was younger, I was drawn to existentialism. Not for the angst, but for the emphasis on choice. Existentialists understood something profound: we become who we are through the choices we make. But they also understood that most people avoid choice because it entails responsibility.

Organisations are no different.

Leadership is not about having options. Leadership is about choosing among them. Leadership is the readiness to act when it matters.

This is why unreadiness is so costly. It’s not a moral failing — it’s a structural condition. When readiness is absent, agency collapses, and the system cannot move.

Agency as World‑Making

In my work, I often draw on ideas from complexity science, information theory, and process philosophy. They all converge on a single insight:

Every choice reshapes the future possibility space.

A choice doesn’t just select a path — it changes what becomes possible next. It opens new doors, closes others, and alters the functional landscape of the system. In this sense, agency is not just psychological. It is world‑editing.

This is why readiness matters so deeply. Without readiness, the world cannot change. With readiness, even small choices can transform everything.

The Work of Readiness

If you’re a leader, a team member, or part of any system trying to improve, here’s the question that matters most:

Are we ready to choose?

Not: Do we have options? Do we have solutions? Do we have capacity?

But Are we willing to assume responsibility? Are we willing to act under limitations? Are we willing to commit to a path?

Because readiness is the hinge. Agency is the activation. Choice is the turning point. And change is the outcome.