Possibility, Limitation, and Readiness: Why Organisations Can’t Rely on “Anything Is Possible”
For years, many of us have repeated the optimistic mantra that “anything is possible.” It’s an appealing idea — energising, liberating, and emotionally uplifting. But when we look closely at how real systems work, especially organisations operating under pressure, the statement doesn’t hold up.
In fact, it obscures something far more important and far more useful: possibility is always structured, and readiness is what determines how we move within that structure.
This insight sits at the heart of organisational change.
Unbounded vs. Bounded Systems: A Crucial Distinction
If we imagine an unbounded, non‑material informational being — the kind of entity some traditions call “God” — then perhaps “anything is possible” is coherent. A being without limitation, without material constraint, without dependency, could in principle access an unlimited field of possibility.
But organisations are not unbounded systems. Humans are not unbounded systems. Teams, leaders, and institutions all operate within real constraints:
finite resources
limited clarity
competing priorities
environmental pressures
cultural dynamics
emotional and cognitive load
These constraints are not flaws. They are the conditions under which agency becomes meaningful.
Possibility Is Structured, Not Infinite
Every organisation exists within a field of possibilities — a landscape of potential futures. But this field is not an open, infinite expanse. It is shaped by:
current capability
current culture
current relationships
current environment
current constraints
Within this field, some futures are adjacent — viable next steps the organisation can realistically take. Others are remote — desirable perhaps, but not accessible from here.
This is the architecture of possibility.
And it means that not anything is possible from any position.
Readiness: The Capacity to Move Within the Field
If possibility is structured, then readiness becomes the decisive factor.
Readiness is not enthusiasm. It’s not motivation. It’s not positivity.
Readiness is the capacity to make good choices under real limitation.
It is the organisational ability to:
see the adjacent possible clearly
choose deliberately among viable options
act coherently despite uncertainty
move into better futures step by step
Readiness is how bounded systems navigate structured possibility.
Why “Anything Is Possible” Undermines Real Change
When leaders believe “anything is possible,” they often fall into predictable traps:
Overreaching — attempting futures the system cannot yet support
Under‑preparing — assuming capability will appear when needed
Avoiding choice — waiting for perfect conditions that never arrive
Misreading the environment — ignoring constraints that shape viability
The result is drift, frustration, and repeated failure to activate change.
By contrast, when leaders understand that possibility is structured, they begin to:
focus on viable next steps
build capability deliberately
strengthen readiness
expand the adjacent possible over time
This is how real transformation happens.
The Environment Moves Whether You Do or Not
The field of possibility is dynamic. Markets shift. Technologies evolve. Policies change. Competitors adapt. Workforces transform.
If an organisation does not choose, the environment chooses for it.
Unreadiness hands the organisation’s future over to external forces. Readiness reclaims agency.
A More Accurate, More Powerful View
Instead of saying “anything is possible,” a more truthful and more useful statement is:
Many futures are possible, but only some are viable from here — and readiness is the capacity to choose among them.
This view honours both:
the structured nature of reality, and
the real agency organisations possess
It avoids magical thinking while preserving genuine possibility.
And it aligns perfectly with how change actually unfolds in complex systems.
The Work of Leadership
Leadership is not about imagining infinite futures. It’s about discerning the viable ones — and preparing the organisation to step into them.
That is the work of readiness. That is the work of agency. And that is the work that determines whether organisations drift or thrive in a moving environment.