Pathfinder Archives - Randel Consulting

“Looking Both Ways: The Janus principle for leaders navigating year-end transitions”

Dear Change Leader, Janus, the Roman god of doorways and transitions, possessed something most gods lacked: two faces, looking in opposite directions. One gazed backward, at the path traveled. The other looked forward, toward the road ahead. The Romans weren’t being whimsical. They understood something essential about transitions: you can’t move forward well without […]

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Adaptive Leadership, Change, Change Management, Communication, Drivers of Sustained Change, Effective Teams, Engagement Paradox, Focus, Habits, holiday, influencing others, Leadership, levers for change, Pathfinder, Plans, Psychological Safety, strategic thinking, Sustaining Change, Teams, Transition

The Transparency Paradox Every Leader Faces

What Leaders Fear to Say (But Teams Need to Hear)

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The Transparency Paradox Every Leader Faces Dear Change Leader, “I can’t tell them the whole truth,” Marcus said quietly. As Executive Director of a regional nonprofit, he’d been carrying difficult news for three months—uncertain funding, potential program and staff cuts, strategic questions about the organization’s future. “If my team knows how serious this is, they’ll

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Adaptive Leadership, Change, Change Management, Communication, Culture, Engagement Paradox, influencing others, Leadership, levers for change, Pathfinder, Psychological Safety, Sustaining Change, Teams

The Art of Dynamic Balance

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Dear Change Leader, “I thought being steady meant staying still,” Marcus told me during our coaching session last month. As the newly promoted Director of a fast-growing tech startup, Marcus had been trying to project unwavering confidence and consistency. He believed that good leadership meant being the organization’s anchor—solid, immovable, predictable. But the more he

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Adaptive Leadership, Change, Change Management, Leadership, levers for change, Pathfinder, Sustaining Change

The Leadership Trap That Creates Tomorrow’s Crises

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Dear Change Leader, In 1972, a small team at Royal Dutch Shell gathered to do something that seemed almost absurd: imagine a future in which oil prices would skyrocket. At the time, oil had been cheap and stable for decades. The entire industry operated on the assumption that this would continue. Planning for anything else

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Adaptive Leadership, Belonging, Capable People, Change, Change Management, Effective Teams, Leadership, Pathfinder, Plans, Sustaining Change, Teams

When Your Team’s Spirit Feels Broken

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How leaders can reignite purpose and hope when teams are running on empty Dear Change Leader, “I look around the room and see people who used to light up when we talked about our work,” Stefan shared with me last week. “Now they just look… tired. Really tired.” As Executive Director of a community

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Adaptive Leadership, Belonging, Capable People, Change, Change Management, Effective Teams, Leaders, Leadership, Pathfinder, Sustaining Change, Teams

The Freedom to Not Know Everything

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What high-performing leaders discover when they stop trying to have all the answers Dear Change Leader, “Do you mind if I ask your opinion on something?” a seasoned executive asked me recently. “If you could share one thing that many leaders miss—something that could unlock a new level of leadership for them—what would that

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Adaptive Leadership, Change, Change Management, Impact, influencing others, Leaders, Leadership, Pathfinder, Plans, strategic thinking, Sustaining Change, Teams

Leadership In Action: Optimism

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Finding Your Foundation When Everything Feels Unsteady The Resilience Paradox: Why Optimism Isn’t Optional Here’s what I’ve learned after years of working with leaders in crisis: resilience isn’t about being tough enough to power through. It’s about being adaptive enough to find solid ground, even when the landscape keeps changing. A seasoned CEO

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Adaptive Leadership, Change, Habits, influencing others, Leaders, Leadership, Pathfinder

Navigating the Estuary: Leadership in Ever-Changing Terrain

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How accomplished leaders can guide their teams through constantly shifting organizational landscapes Dear Change Leader, “I feel like I’m kayaking through an estuary where the channels keep shifting,” shared Rebecca, a seasoned C-suite executive, during our recent conversation. “Just when I think I’ve found the safe passage, the tide changes and suddenly I’m navigating

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Adaptive Leadership, Change, Change Management, Leaders, Leadership, Pathfinder, Plans, strategic thinking, Sustaining Change, Teams

Appreciating The Clearing: Finding Perspective in the Midst of the Journey

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Dear Change Leader, I’m writing this newsletter shortly after the summer solstice, almost at the midpoint of the year, as people traditionally prepare for their summer holidays. Given this transition point, I’d like to explore the benefit of pausing in the midst of what continues to be a hectic year. Imagine that you are

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Adaptive Leadership, Capable People, Change, Change Management, Drivers of Sustained Change, Effective Teams, Habits, Innovation, Leaders, Leadership, levers for change, Organizational Growth, Pathfinder, strategic thinking, Summer, Sustaining Change, Transition

When Dinosaurs Learn to Fly : Transforming Your Organization’s Strengths in Disruptive Times

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Dear Change Leader, Picture this: A small dinosaur stands at the edge of a cliff, its body covered in what we now know were primitive feathers—originally evolved for warmth and display, not flight. Below stretches an unfamiliar landscape, changed by shifting climates and new predators. The old hunting grounds have dried up. The familiar food

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Adaptive Leadership, Capable People, Change, Change Management, Drivers of Sustained Change, Effective Teams, Innovation, Leaders, Leadership, levers for change, Organizational Growth, Pathfinder, strategic thinking, Transition