Thriving through change
An exclusive look at my work in the world and how I teach leaders and organizations to navigate uncertainty.
Nearly ten years ago, I came home from work, sat exhausted at the bottom of the stairs, and finally declared out loud, “I want to be done!“
That truth hung in the air like a deafening silence. Ultimately, it was the permission I needed to give myself so I could finally get off the ride.
For months — if not years — I had been choking on the reality that I didn’t want to grow my company anymore. I was so afraid to let go of the identify of Founder. The identity of CEO. What would people think of me? What would I do now? How would I be valuable to the world if I wasn’t leading this company?
Standing here now, I am astounded by the courage and strength I had to release my grip. I’m so grateful that the fear of the unknown didn’t swallow me up, but instead, pushed me across a threshold where a whole new meaningful, purposeful, and impactful life had been waiting for me.
For the last decade, I have shed thousands of versions of my identity as I’ve learned the craft of Org Design and Development. As I’ve learned to guide leaders, teams, and organizations to redesign their systems and build braver cultures, I have been humbled by uncertainty and the teacher it has been to me. Although sometimes reluctantly, I have welcomed every possible invitation to face my fears, release my grip, and soften so that I can teach others to do the same. This has changed everything for me, including the way I move through my life.
The craft of guiding humans back to themselves, so they can realize their greatest potential both at work and in their lives — so that the organization can also make a significant impact in the world — is where my gifts lie. Turns out, I didn’t need to run my own company, I needed to support organizations much larger than mine to shape our world.
The video below is a talk I recently gave to a group in Europe about my method and approach. I’ve recorded it privately so that I could share it with you. Please feel free to leave reactions and questions in the comments or in our subscriber chat.
Sending lots of love,
Mack