November 18, 2025 | Issue Archive
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Adaptability Is No Longer Enough
We’re living in a moment where leaders are adapting constantly — and still falling behind.
Not because they’re not smart enough.
Not because their strategy is wrong.
Not because their teams aren’t capable.
But because they’re carrying too much of what no longer belongs in the next chapter.
And this month’s Harvard Business Review cover story nailed it. 👇🏼
HBR’s Insight: The Hidden Beliefs That Hold Leaders Back
In the article “The Hidden Beliefs That Hold Leaders Back,” HBR identifies seven internal assumptions that quietly sabotage leadership — not because they’re dramatic, but because they run beneath awareness:
- I need to be involved.
- I need it done now.
- I know I’m right.
- I can’t make a mistake.
- If I can do it, so can you.
- I can’t say no.
- I don’t belong here.
And through the lens of our Choose Your Ending™ work, something becomes clear:
Every one of these beliefs is an ending waiting to happen.
They are outdated stories — stories leaders carry long after they stop serving us.
And as HBR points out:
You can’t grow past a belief you refuse to question.
What Happens When You Choose Your Ending™
When I ask leaders in our workshops:
“What if the key to your next breakthrough isn’t what you start — but what you choose to END?”
This is what I mean.
You don’t rise by adding more:
- more urgency
- more decisions
- more perfection
- more involvement
- more pressure
- more expectations
- more self-doubt
You rise by ending the belief that’s keeping you in the old chapter.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Not addition — subtraction.
Not more — less.
Not forcing forward — letting go.
This Ends Now
End the Hidden Belief That’s Holding You Back
Right now, choose one belief from the list above that you know is limiting you.
- “I end the belief that I must be everywhere.”
- “I end the belief that urgency equals importance.”
- “I end the belief that a mistake makes me less credible.”
- “I end the belief that I don’t belong here.”
Whichever one hits you hardest — that’s your ending for today.
This Moment Matters
Choose the Beginning That Comes Next
Then ask:
“If I release this belief, what becomes possible?”
- Trust?
- Space?
- Strategic thinking?
- More courage?
- Better decisions?
- A calmer nervous system?
- A healthier team?
Choose one.
And take one small action today that expresses the new belief.
Because moments create momentum.
And endings create beginnings.
Here’s to endings.
Here’s to beginnings.
Here’s to leading what’s next.
Up we go—
P.S. If you know someone who knows it’s time for a change, yet they’re still struggling to make the choice, this blog post might speak to them—please share if you’d like.