Change Isn’t a Phase
Stability has left the chat.
It’s been a while since I last wrote. Which probably tells you everything you need to know about how the year’s been going for the OTL team.
We’ve been deep in transformation work, there’s been a tonne of inspiration, but not a lot of time to capture it (sounds familiar)?
A conversation I had recently pulled me back to writing. Someone said, quite seriously, that once they got through the current phase of change, things would stabilise and they could get back to operating properly. And I remember having that quiet, internal reaction of: are you kidding me?
Not because I didn’t understand the desire to make decisions under ideal conditions, but because, realistically, their belief that those sorts of conditions are waiting for them right around the corner is so out of sync with reality. We have seen that there is still this underlying belief that change is something we move through, and eventually beyond. And that on the other side of it, we’ll find a version of the business that feels more settled, more predictable, more clear.
If your game plan is to "tough it out" until that stability arrives, we have a problem.
Your business exists within an ecosystem where transformation is almost synonymous with the passage of time. For any ambitious business navigating this ecosystem, that moment of stability will never truly arrive. Context will change, priorities will evolve, AI will continue to "AI", and what felt true a few weeks ago no longer holds in quite the same way.
What I see happen, again and again, is that leaders respond by trying to hold things a little longer:
* Decisions getdelayed until they feel more certain.
* Direction iskept back until it feels properly formed.
* Workgets pushed to a level of completeness the situation doesn’t actually require.
It can all seem trivial in isolation (what’s another few days?) but cumulatively, it has a cost. While you’re waiting for clarity, everything around you is still moving, and the people relying on your direction either pause or keep going based on whatever they last heard. Neither of these responses proactively move your business closer to a better future.
The leaders who move more effectively aren’t the ones with perfect answers. They’re the ones willing to make direction visible earlier and have the courage to say, this is where we’re heading based on what we know today, and let that evolve in the open. They treat movement as part of how clarity is built, not something that comes after it.
Because great leaders don't wait for the future to happen - they build it out of the present, one decision at a time.
You got this.
G
Signals + Shifts
Building for Stability in a Moving Environment
So, you can't wait on circumstantial stability to navigate the present.
But don't worry, there's good news too. Proactively guiding the business to its future state creates operational and cultural momentum and the kind of momentum which has a stabilising effect on teams and business as they navigate the inevitable landscape of change.
In other words, stability is something you have the power to build.
The world needs more resilient organisations and confident leaders that can move with clarity even when their landscape never stops changing.
So stop waiting and take ownership of your present. The future will follow.
In Practice
We spent a day recently with a leadership team in the middle of a transformation that, logically, made complete sense. The ambition was clear, the strategy was directionally right, and everyone in the room knew the business needed to move. But within the first half hour, you could feel where things were starting to drag.
The conversation kept circling around blockers. Stakeholders weren’t aligned. Decisions were taking too long. Teams were frustrated that priorities kept shifting before work had even landed. And underneath all of it was this quiet expectation that eventually things would settle down enough for everyone to properly move again.
But that’s the part we pushed on.
In most organisations right now, things are not about to settle down. The environment is changing too quickly for that. So if the entire system is built around waiting for certainty before acting, people end up stuck in this constant state of hesitation where work slows down, ownership narrows, and teams start operating from outdated assumptions.
What actually changed the room wasn’t another strategy discussion. It was getting much more practical about movement.
We mapped the stakeholders and answered the following questions:
* What pain do we solve for them?
* Who needs context earlier?
* Where are people waiting for information to make a decision?
* How should they receive the information (narrative, report, meeting) and how often?
You could feel the energy shift once the conversation moved away from “why is this happening to us?” and towards “how do we lead the organisation to move with us?”
Because the teams moving best right now aren’t necessarily the ones with the clearest plans. They’re the ones building the muscle to keep moving while the plan evolves.
Team Spotlight
Welcome to OTL, Lily Chang!
From corporate strategy to Chief of Staff to Chief People Officer across companies like Expedia and Hopin,
Lily’s non-linear journey brings hard-won experience to founders and senior leaders in the fast-moving world of tech and startups, partnering with them to build the culture and strategic clarity that lasting growth demands.
Top Tip
If you’re in the middle of something that’s still moving, and you want to bring your team along, stop waiting for the full plan and instead create a one-page brief. This should answer:
* What are we trying to do, based on what we know today?
* What constraints do we already understand?
* What needs to be true for this to work?
Then share that early. Don’t wait for “done”.
By bringing the team along earlier, you’ll get better input, faster movement, and far less wasted effort than waiting for something complete. As a bonus, involving them throughout the process creates a stronger sense of shared ownership, which often leads to better outcomes.
Work With Us This Year
At OverTime Leader, we work with leadership teams who are ready to lead by example.
Set the stage for your next chapter with tools and strategies to navigate pivotal moments, align around shared goals, and deliver focused impact.
Here’s a snapshot of what we offer:
Team Reset
Get your team clear on what matters most. Our Reset Workshop is designed to help leadership teams pause, prioritise, and align around what really matters so you can lead your team to a focused, successful finish (and start). Perfect for teams navigating fast change or entering a pivotal chapter.
Manager Performance Accelerator Program
Give managers the tools they need to perform with clarity and confidence from day one, and build the foundations for high-performing teams.
Get Your Leaders in Sync
Bring your senior team together to align on goals, priorities, and ways of working. Our facilitated offsites create clarity, strengthen trust, and accelerate decision-making, so leaders and their teams are ready to execute in strategic and procedural lockstep. Contact us to design your leadership offsite.
Tailored Executive Coaching Programs
R.A.G.E. is our energising coaching approach to help you reset, refocus, and reignite. In just four sessions, you’ll uncover what truly drives you, lock in bold next steps, and build accountability that sticks, so you can charge into the year with clarity and confidence.
Let’s Talk!
