How constant activity erodes the very conditions required for adaptation — with real‑world examples Many leaders assume that a busy organisation is a productive one. Full calendars, constant meetings, rapid task‑switching, and overflowing inboxes are often interpreted as signs of momentum and commitment. But the truth is far more uncomfortable: Busy organisations are often the…
The hidden trap that keeps organisations busy, exhausted, and underperforming Modern organisations are full of movement — meetings, updates, workshops, dashboards, stand‑ups, check‑ins, reports, and endless streams of communication. From the outside, it looks like progress. But activity is not impact. And leaders routinely confuse the two. This confusion is not a minor leadership flaw….
The hidden bias that keeps organisations stuck — and how leaders can correct it When organisations struggle with performance, alignment, or change, leaders almost always reach for the same lever first: communication. More updates. More town halls. More messaging. More storytelling. More persuasion. But communication is not the primary driver of behaviour. Structure is. And…
The real reason messages don’t land — and why more communication makes things worse, not better When leaders face confusion, resistance, or slow adoption, the instinctive response is almost always the same: communicate more communicate louder communicate more frequently communicate in different formats But communication problems are rarely caused by a lack of communication. They…
The hidden reason leaders struggle to create lasting change — and what actually works instead When organisations hit performance problems, leaders often reach for the same tools: more communication more encouragement more training more incentives more workshops more “buy‑in” conversations These are all attempts to increase motivation. But motivation is not the problem. And it’s…
Why leadership is less about motivating people and more about protecting the architecture that makes performance possible Most leadership models focus on behaviour: inspiring people, motivating teams, communicating clearly, managing resistance, and building engagement. These things matter — but they are not the foundation of leadership. The foundation of leadership is structural integrity. Because people…
Why systems lose coherence over time and what leaders can do about it Most organisations don’t fail because of a single catastrophic event. They fail because of something quieter, slower, and far more pervasive. They fail because of drift. Drift is the gradual loss of alignment, clarity, and capability that occurs when a system is…
A practical guide for leaders who want to understand whether their system is truly ready for change Most organisations assume they are “ready for change” because people seem supportive, the strategy looks clear, or the project plan is well‑structured. But real readiness has very little to do with enthusiasm or communication. Readiness is structural. It’s…
Every organisation wants to be “ready for change.” Every leader wants teams who can adapt quickly, stay focused under pressure, and maintain momentum when conditions shift. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most organisations treat change readiness as a behavioural or motivational issue, when in reality it is a structural one. This misunderstanding is the single…
Understanding why people who’ve survived big changes can still struggle with new ones One of the most common surprises leaders encounter when using IRVEY¹ is this: Someone with a low Change Fitness score may have successfully navigated enormous, difficult changes in their past. At first glance, this seems contradictory. If a person has rebuilt their…