Anyone who has ever set out with a map knows, the map is not the landscape. On paper, the route seems clear and manageable, but once outside, the path turns out to be muddy, there are fallen trees and an unexpected intersection comes your way. This is exactly how it goes in organizations. Leaders often work with blueprints, roadmaps and plans that create the illusion that change is linear and predictable. But the reality of everyday work is always more unruly.
The illusion of linear leadership
Yet many organizations continue to cling to the classic card model. We call this “linear leadership. It seems sensible and is almost reassuring. In reality, this approach actually leads to false security, as if everything is under control when the reality is different. It creates stagnation, waiting for conditions that will never be completely “finished.” And it leads to missed goals, busyness and deliverables, but no meaningful results for customers and employees.
Research shows that this is no exception: over 70% of change programs fail because organizations steer by deliverables instead of impact. Hard work is done, deadlines are met, but customers don’t notice. Output is confused with outcome.
Linear leadership assumes predictability: if we deliver A and B, C will naturally follow. It is a straight line from plan to result. But organizations are not machines; they are living systems. Improvement and change never happen in a straight line. It is always an iterative process of learning, adjusting and trying again.
The alternative: interactive leadership
We call the alternative interactive leadership. Instead of following plans in straight lines, interactive leadership assumes ongoing dialogue, shared learning and adjustment in the moment. Leaders connect “this is how it should be” (the strategy, the intention) with “this is how it will be” (everyday practice). They make room for experiments, use disruptions as learning moments and steer not by output but by impact.
Whereas linear leadership makes people primarily implementers of a devised plan, interactive leadership invites teams to co-own the outcome. This creates energy, ownership and agility. It makes improvement part of daily work, rather than a project that must be “done” at some point.
Call to leaders
Let go of the illusion of linear leadership. Make the shift to interactive leadership with three simple but powerful choices:
- Engage with your teams, use their knowledge of the landscape and learn from reality instead of clinging to the map.
- Steer for impact, not deliverables, measure what really changes for customers and employees, and have the courage to adjust plans.
- Use deviations as fuel, see obstacles and disruptions not as mistakes, but as learning moments that make your organization agile.
These are the steps you can use to make a difference today.
