Ambiguity is no longer an occasional condition of work; it is now embedded in how most organizations operate. Yet the greatest risk is not uncertainty itself, but the persistence of ambiguity in roles, priorities, and decision-making authority. When expectations are unclear, organizations do not simply slow down—they fragment. Accountability diffuses, priorities diverge, and effort increases without corresponding impact. Role ambiguity is one of the most preventable sources of organizational strain. When individuals are unclear about what they own, how success is evaluated, or whose decisions take precedence, stress rises, and performance degrades. Whether being asked to do more with less or reporting to a new leader, when employees feel unsure how to prioritize their work, it increases stress. Evidence from a global study by Gallup revealed that 49% of leaders and 42% of non-managers are struggling with anxiety at work.  This is not a resilience failure on the part of employees; it is an architectural failure in how work is designed and governed. Without a reliable mechanism for clarifying roles and responsibilities, ambiguity compounds quietly, increasing execution risk and avoidable error across the business. The costly effects of not dealing with workplace ambiguity As the world changes, businesses and individuals must change too. Organizational change s increase the opportunity for role ambiguity and workplace stress. Role ambiguity is described as one employee's understanding of their job or organizational objectives being different from another's, leading to an unproductive workplace conflict or wasted efforts. Poor communications, unclear policies, or a general lack of workplace relationships are typical sources of role ambiguity. Several studies have demonstrated that role ambiguity has significant negative personal and workplace results. One such study within the Big Four Public Accounting Firms showed that organizational role ambiguity led to: decreased performance increased work stress increased employee turnover In this study, role ambiguity significantly increased anxiety and physical and psychological stress at an individual level. Role ambiguity increases non-productive conflict and employee burnout even when a team has good working relationships. How to deal with ambiguity A RACI matrix is a simple and powerful tool for effectively dealing with role ambiguity. I have used this tool at the organization, team, and individual levels, enhancing role clarity, improved workload balance, and improved decision-making. RACI is an acronym for responsible, accountable, consult with, and informed. Each letter represents the roles and degree of involvement for a given organizational role or task: R esponsible: Who is ultimately responsible for doing the task? A ccountable: Who is the decision-maker accountable for ensuring that the job is successfully completed? C onsult with: Who needs to know the details and requirements so they can provide meaningful input to the task I nformed: Who needs to be kept aware of task updates? An essential part of organizational consulting is helping individuals and teams gain clarity during change and dealing with role ambiguity created by the changes. Applying a RACI template to a given change initiative is not intended to replace a robust change management plan. Instead, this tool raises awareness and understanding to support change. 4 Steps to create a powerful RACI Matrix Here are four steps to creating a RACI matrix for dealing with role ambiguity. RACI Creation Step 1: Select a team As with most initiatives, selecting the right team members to be involved is essential to creating the most value. A critical quality step is to engage those closest to the work in creating the RACI. Additionally, you will want to include the manager and potentially the executive sponsor for the role. RACI Creation Step 2: Identify tasks associated with the target role Start with a high-level outline. A job description can be a good starting point. Then, go back and break down the tasks into subtasks. For example, you could argue that an essential task for a knowledge worker is to turn on their computer. However, is it worthwhile to clarify who is responsible for this activity? This likely goes without saying. Getting too granular too early in creating the RACI can paralyze the team and overcomplicate the work. RACI Creation Step 3: Align groups and individuals with RACI designations Review each task and identify the individual or group associated with each RACI designation. At this step, there will likely be differences of opinion. It is crucial to surface these differences and pursue consensus. A common cause of the differences can come from differences of opinion on what is meant by definitions such as responsible vs. accountable. To help the team work through the differences, it is a good practice to write down the definitions and have them available to the team. RACI Creation Step 4: Walk the matrix After you create the RACI matrix, it is helpful to have those involved simulate a task and confirm with each responsible group that their level of involvement is appropriate and that no groups or essential details were left out. It is easy to forget tasks when building these in a meeting. It's like taking the same route to work every day and forgetting the railroad tracks or stoplights you pass. When conflict is associated with ambiguity, consider using an external facilitator. Establishing trust and clarifying expectations are essential starting points for achieving a valuable outcome. The following short video provides a good overview and example of using a RACI matrix. RACI Matrix example I am a fan of the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian. In the table below, I have used some key season one episode events to explain the RACI Matrix. "This is the way." Role ambiguity rarely resolves itself. Left unaddressed, it becomes embedded in how decisions are made, how work is prioritized, and how accountability is avoided. Over time, leaders compensate for the lack of clarity through personal effort, informal influence, or escalation—none of which scale. The practical question for senior leaders is not whether ambiguity exists, but where it is no longer acceptable. That requires making role expectations, decision rights, and ownership explicit—especially during periods of change. If ambiguity is showing up as repeated friction, stalled decisions, or uneven execution, it is time to examine the underlying design of roles and authority. Clarifying these conditions is a leadership act. Addressing them deliberately is how organizations restore coherence and reduce unnecessary strain. References: Amiruddin, A. (2019). The mediating effect of work stress on the influence of time pressure, work-family conflict, and role ambiguity on audit quality reduction behavior. International Journal of Law and Management, 61(2), 434-454. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. McCormak, N. (2013). Managing burnout in the workplace: A guide for information professionals. Science Direct. Chandos Publishing. Wigert, B., & Pendell, R. (2023). 6 Trends Leaders Need to Navigate This Year. Gallup Workplace.

Organizations and leadership teams rarely fail because they lack intelligence, experience, or ambition. They fail when individual results are achieved in ways that quietly erode trust, consistency, and moral authority. In those moments, character is no longer a personal virtue—it becomes an organizational risk. Leaders must navigate uncertainty—situations when policy, procedure, and precedent offer incomplete guidance or conflict with one another. How decisions are made, and what leaders are willing to compromise under pressure, shape reputation, culture, and long-term performance far more than strategy alone. As Martin Luther King Jr. warned, the most dangerous failure is not a lack of ability, but the absence of moral grounding to guide that ability. Blind pursuit of results may deliver short-term gains, but it damages credibility, fractures alignment, and weakens both leadership legitimacy and enterprise resilience over time. Evidence from workplace studies suggests that leaders with strong character consistently outperform peers on key performance metrics. Character determines whether leadership behaviors are applied with integrity, consistency, and responsibility—especially when no one is watching. Great leadership is the disciplined integration of competence, character, and commitment. Why is leadership character important to success? Leadership creates moments not defined by policy or procedures—situations where leaders have to choose between right and right. Every day, you make character decisions, consciously or unconsciously, such as between speed or quality and long-term or short-term results. The impact of these decisions either reinforces your team's desired or undesired thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. Martin Luther King, Jr. In a two-year study of executive leaders and their organizations, CEOs who scored high on aspects of character had an average return on assets (ROA) of 9.35%, in contrast to CEOs with low ratings, with a ROA of 1.93%. Leadership character is shown to align the leader-follower relationship, increasing both leader and follower productivity, effectiveness, and creativity. Leadership character plays a vital role in unifying a team. Followers will give more when they respect the leader's character. A focus on helping others is essential to providing effective strategic leadership. Also, character helps leaders navigate change more effectively. What is Leadership Character? Leadership character is doing the right thing for the right reasons and with the right feelings. It is the inner game of leadership. While leadership behaviors are observable, a leader's inner game quietly controls the leader's behaviors. Character is the unique combination of internalized beliefs and moral habits that motivates and shapes how that you relate to others. Fred Kiel Evidence suggests that there are four universal leadership character principles: Integrity – Being honest, acting consistently with principles, standing up for what is right, and keeping promises. Responsibility – Owning personal decisions, admitting mistakes, and showing concern for the common good. Forgiveness – Letting go of self and others' mistakes, focused on what is right versus only what is wrong. Compassion – Empathizing with others, empowering others, actively caring for others, and committing to others' growth. A leader's character determines how knowledge, skills, and abilities are applied. Leadership decisions are often based on values, worldviews, and past experiences. Your past, even as a child, has shaped your current perception of what is right or wrong. Family members, friends, religious leaders, and the community where you live and work reinforce your character. How to Measure and Assess Your Leadership Character Character is often treated as abstract or subjective. In practice, it can be rigorously defined, examined, and measured. When leaders understand their habits—and how those habits influence decisions under pressure—organizations gain greater predictability and alignment. Assessment is not about labeling leaders as “good” or “bad.” It is about increasing awareness of the internal drivers that shape judgment, behavior, and tradeoffs. Greater self-awareness at the leadership level improves decision quality, strengthens trust, and reduces unintended consequences. Character Strength Assessment Validated assessment instruments can provide insight into a leader’s character profile and dominant tendencies. Tools such as the VIA Character Strength Survey, completed by millions of leaders worldwide, offer a structured way to reliably examine character strengths and patterns. Used appropriately, these assessments create a shared language for discussing character without moralizing or personalizing the conversation. The free VIA Character Strength Survey provides insights into your 24-character strengths in rank order. Character strengths are values in action or positive thinking, feeling, and behaving traits that benefit the leader and others. For more information regarding the VIA Character Strengths Survey, visit www.viacharacter.org . Leadership Habit Assessment Character is reinforced—or weakened—through habits. Structured reflection tools can surface unintentional patterns that influence leadership effectiveness, particularly under stress or time pressure. Identifying these patterns helps leaders understand where behavior may drift from intent and where greater discipline is required. Assessment alone does not change behavior. When combined with disciplined reflection, feedback, and executive-level dialogue, assessment becomes a mechanism for aligning internal values with external leadership expectations. Treated as part of an ongoing process rather than a one-time event, character assessment supports more consistent leadership behavior and more reliable organizational outcomes. The free quiz includes a personalized report and guide that will provide you with an "aha" moment as you reflect on your leadership habits to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. 3 Practical steps to develop leadership character in your company Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education. Martin Luther King, Jr. Most leadership development programs focus on building competence, and the leader's character is often left out. A lack of attention to character harms both the leader and the organization's performance. Character Development Step #1: Making the invisible visible The conversation of leadership character development in the workplace is lacking and needs to be raised to the same level as developing leadership competence. The desired goal is to increase character development investments, not replace them. Start with clarifying leadership inner game and outer game expectations: What should leaders do? You might already have these leadership behaviors defined in performance reviews or leadership competency models. What kind of leaders should they be? If you are unsure where to begin, research-based books and articles like those mentioned and cited in this post can be great resources. Character Development Step #2: Make it experiential Leadership character development should involve challenging simulation experiences that involve everyday decisions between right and right. These experiences should also include time for guided reflection with each participant. Additionally, the development should include teaching leaders specific habits for dealing with challenging issues. Character Development Step #3: Assessment and coaching Character development is a process, not an event. A proven way to develop character is to combine self-assessment with executive coaching. The combination of enhanced self-awareness and a thought-provoking, creative executive coaching program inspires transformation and growth. How You Can Ace Your Next Character Test Making the next right choice in a test of character is simply making the next right choice. You build leadership character like you build physical endurance. Training helps create character muscle memory, making the right decision automatically. Attend a leadership development program that focuses on both the inner and outer game of leadership. Character is tested not in moments of convenience, but in moments of pressure—when tradeoffs are real and consequences are unavoidable. Organizations that leave character to individual discretion create variability where reliability is required. Acing a test of character begins with clarity. Leaders must know their non-negotiables and understand how those principles guide decisions when incentives, timelines, or personal interests compete. Character becomes durable when expectations are explicit, decisions are examined, and accountability is real. Leadership character does not strengthen by accident. Like physical endurance, it is built through deliberate practice, reflection, and reinforcement. Systems that combine self-awareness, feedback, and disciplined challenge create the conditions for the right decision to become the right decision. Organizations that elevate character to the same level as competence do more than protect their reputation. They improve decision quality, stabilize culture, and build trust that compounds over time. In an environment defined by complexity and scrutiny, character is not a soft advantage—it is a strategic one. Key Summary Points Effective leadership is not defined solely by competence. Sustainable performance emerges from the disciplined integration of competence, character, and commitment—especially under pressure. Leadership character reflects a leader’s internalized beliefs and moral habits, shaping how authority is exercised, decisions are made, and tradeoffs are resolved in ambiguous conditions. Strong leadership character stabilizes the leader–follower relationship by reinforcing trust, alignment, and discretionary effort, resulting in higher productivity, effectiveness, and creativity. Leadership character can be assessed and strengthened when organizations treat it as a decision-quality variable, supported by feedback mechanisms, executive coaching, and accountability systems. Organizations that elevate character to the same level as leadership competence reduce cultural drift, improve decision consistency, and protect long-term enterprise performance. Schedule a conversation when the goal is not improvement for its own sake, but increased reliability, trust, and decision integrity at scale. References: Badaracco, J. (1997). Defining moments: When managers must choose between right and right . Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press. Beerel, A. (1997). The strategic planner as prophet and leader: a case study concerning a leading seminary illustrates the new planning skills required. Leadership & Organization Development Journal . 18 (3) pp. 136 -144. Claar, V.V., Jackson, L.L., & TenHaken, V.R. (2014). Are Servant Leaders Born or Made? Servant Leadership Theory & Practice, Vol. 1, Issue 1, 46-52. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose . Organizational Talent Consulting. Kiel, F. (2015). Return on character: The real reason leaders and their companies win. Harvard Business Review. Kim, J.H., Keck, P., McMahon, M.C., Vo, A., Gonzalez, R., Lee, D.H., Barbir, L., & Maree, K. (2018). Strengths based rehabilitation assessment: Adapted Inventory of Virtues and Strengths. Work: Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 61(3), 421-435. doi:10.3233/WOR-182807 Kim, J. H., Reid, C. A., McMahon, B., Gonzalez, R., Lee, D. H., & Keck, P. (2016). Measuring the virtues and character traits of rehabilitation clients: The adapted inventory of virtues and strengths. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 26 (1), 32-44. doi:10.1007/s10926-015-9619-9 Norzailan, Z., Othman, R. B., & Ishizaki, H. (2016). Strategic leadership competencies: What is it and how to develop it? Industrial and Commercial Training, 48 (8), 394-399. doi:10.1108/ICT-04-2016-0020 Seijts, G., Crossan, M., & Carleton, E. (2017). Embedding leader character into HR practices to achieve sustained excellence. Organizational Dynamics, 46 (1), 30-39. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.02.001

Organizational culture does not fail because leaders lack desire. It fails because the systems that govern decisions, incentives, and authority are allowed to drift. Over time, organizations default toward entropy—misalignment increases, decision quality erodes, and informal norms begin to override formal strategy. Culture is a silent operating system determining what actually happens, regardless of what leaders say they want. Culture architecture is not a discretionary leadership initiative. It is a matter of organizational viability. When leaders do not deliberately design and reinforce the mechanisms that shape behavior—what gets attention, resources, rewards, and advancement—the existing culture will continue to reproduce itself despite any strategic priorities. The challenge leaders face today is not whether culture matters. Organizational culture is everyone's responsibility, and leaders play a central role in influencing and reinforcing the desired culture. Leaders need to be able to operate within and upon the business. The challenge is the professional will to act on the system that produces culture, rather than being constrained by it. The good news is that culture change does not require grand programs or proximity in shared offices. It requires disciplined attention to a small number of levers that quietly govern how people decide, act, and adapt. Here are the six strategies that follow focus on those levers. Why Organizational Culture is Important Organizational culture is the one thing that influences every aspect of your business. It directly impacts the overall success of your organization, your people, your customers, and your communities. The underlying values of an organization influence the behaviors of employees and their decisions. Much has been written on the impact of culture on business effectiveness. Scholarly research has directly linked the effects on customer satisfaction, employee teamwork, cohesion, and employee involvement. Organizational culture creates an internal and external brand identity that influences what and how people think about your organization. Organizational culture is also key to unlocking innovation . Just as some organizational culture characteristics can support innovation, others can also inhibit innovation. For example, a hierarchical organizational culture type has been proven to decrease an organization's ability to innovate. What is Organizational Culture? If you are looking for a good discussion topic at an upcoming meeting, take some time to ask those attending how they would describe your company's culture. You will likely hear many different perspectives on what culture is and is not. The word culture gets used differently by different people at different times. Edgar Schein is considered to be one of the most influential contemporary thought leaders on organizational culture, and below is his organizational culture definition: "a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems." It is easy to focus on the visible things that describe an organization's culture. However, an organizational culture framework consists of artifacts, values, and underlying assumptions: Artifacts: These are the things you can see, feel, or hear in the workplace. Examples include what is displayed, office layouts, uniforms, identification badges, and what is discussed and not discussed. Espoused Values: What you are told and beliefs you can use to make decisions. Examples include a company's vision and values or mission statement. They are explicitly stated official philosophies about the company. Basic Assumptions: These things go without saying or are taken for granted. Examples could include speaking up in meetings, holding a door for someone, smiling, or greeting someone by name when walking down the hall. 3 Strong Organizational Culture Examples Organizations with strong organizational cultures are defined by having their culture deeply rooted in how they operate. The following three companies are frequently recognized for their organizational culture. Southwest Airlines operates within an industry routinely made fun of for its poor customer service; however, it is known for the opposite. Employees at Southwest can do what is needed to make customers happy, and as a result, their customers are loyal. Zappos is an organization that has tightly connected its culture with its hiring practices. Zappos offers new hires $2000 to quit if they feel the job is not the right fit for them within the first week of employment. Check out this Zappos organizational culture video: Keeping culture strong becomes more challenging as the organization grows. Google has faced many challenges on its path to becoming the 5th most valuable company by market capitalization in the world. Businesses have to reinvent themselves to grow and adapt to changes. Google is known for being unique and leveraging data everywhere. Google uses people analytics not just for feedback but also for organizational culture analysis. Explore Google  Project Aristotle   to discover how data drives improvements in teamwork. 6 Culture Change Strategies The following six proven leadership strategies can change employees' behavior and what they think, feel, and perceive. Culture Change Strategy #1: What leaders pay attention to regularly Your attention is one of the most potent mechanisms for culture change that leaders always have available. What leaders choose to systematically measure, reward systematically, and control matters, and the opposite is also true. For example, suppose an organization wants to build an analytical orientation within the culture. In that case, a great starting point is to ask leaders what data they use to make decisions or reward leaders for making data-driven decisions. Culture Change Strategy #2: How leaders react to critical incidents When a business or a leader faces a significant challenge, much can be revealed. These crucible moments are like refining fires. The heightened emotional intensity increases individual and organizational learning. For example, the recent global pandemic revealed much more about an organization's values than any about page on a website or company orientation ever would. Sodexo is one positive example of an organization demonstrating its commitment to employees through leadership's pandemic response . Culture Change Strategy #3: How leaders allocate resources and control costs Follow the money. Budgets reveal a lot about the organization's assumptions and beliefs. Additionally, resources include physical assets such as equipment and tools, as well as human resources. What gets resourced gets reinforced. Going back to the example of creating an analytical orientation, leaders should consider what tools and resources employees have available for data analytics. Culture Change Strategy #4: Deliberate role modeling and training How leaders act and behave outside training is more significant than what is said or demonstrated in training events. Leaders looking to build an analytical cultural orientation would benefit by explaining to and showing the organization how they use data to make decisions on a routine basis. Culture Change Strategy #5: How leaders allocate rewards Rewards and recognition come in many different forms. What is considered a reward varies from person to person. What gets rewarded, how it gets rewarded, and what does not get rewarded reinforce organizational culture. There are tangible rewards and social rewards. Simply saying thank you for presenting a decision using data analytics is a social reward. Culture Change Strategy #6: How leaders recruit, promote, and fire Who gets hired, promoted , and fired, and for what, creates and reinforces your organization's culture. Talent management decisions can be viewed as a more subtle nuance to culture change because they are influenced by explicitly stated criteria and unstated value priorities. A leader looking to influence an analytical cultural orientation would benefit from assessing the skill sets needed within the organization and then hiring based on those skills. How Do You Overcome Culture Change Resistance? Organizations are likely to deny the need for change and become defensive at the suggestion of change. If leaders are not attentive to the resistance, they can be under estimate the change needed. Just mentioning the word change creates anxiety. Creating momentum within the organizations around the desire to survive and thrive reduces learning anxiety by creating psychological safety. Psychological safety is when you feel included, able to learn, contribute, and provide critical feedback without fear of being embarrassed, excluded, or penalized. Leaders increase psychological safety by consistently helping followers comprehend and accept the challenge. A critical takeaway observation from the six strategies for change is that they are about the leader's habits rather than a one-and-done culture change intervention. Also, these strategies tap into critical drivers of organizational change: The inspiration of employees. The involvement is of everyone as much as possible. The internalization of the change. The six strategies discussed in this article are not episodic interventions or change management tactics. They are continuous control mechanisms that operate whether leaders choose to engage them or not. Every organization already has a culture because every organization already reinforces behavior through attention, response, resource allocation, rewards, and talent decisions. The only question is whether those cultural reinforcements are intentional or accidental. Resistance to culture change is often misdiagnosed as emotional reluctance or lack of commitment. More often, it is a rational response to misaligned incentives, unclear authority, or conflicting signals embedded in the system. Psychological safety matters, but it cannot compensate for governance structures that reward the very behaviors leaders claim they want to change. Organizations that succeed at culture change do not attempt to “fix” people. They redesign the conditions under which people make decisions. They clarify what the organization truly values by making those values observable in budgets, promotions, consequences, and executive behavior. Culture changes when the system makes it easier to act differently—and harder not to. For leaders, the real work of culture change begins with an uncomfortable but necessary question: What behaviors does our organization reliably produce—and what system is producing them?   Until that question is addressed directly, culture will remain an outcome of design by default, not by choice. Let’s clarify your culture’s decision levers and remove hidden barriers to reinforce and drive strategic execution. Schedule a Strategic Leadership Conversation References: Büschgens, T., Bausch, A., & Balkin, D. B. (2013). Organizational culture and innovation: A meta‐analytic review. The Journal of Product Innovation Management, 30 (4), 763-781. Cameron, K. S., & Quinn, R. E. (2011). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture: Based on the competing values framework (Third ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Gregory, B. T., Harris, S. G., Armenakis, A. A., & Shook, C. L. (2009). Organizational culture and effectiveness: A study of values, attitudes, and organizational outcomes. Journal of Business Research, 62 (7), 673-679. Nieminen, L., Biermeier-Hanson, B., & Denison, D. (2013). Aligning leadership and organizational culture: The leader-culture fit framework for coaching organizational leaders. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 65 (3), 177-198. Pater, R. (2015). Advanced culture change leadership. Professional Safety, 60 (9), 24. Schein, E. H., & Schein, P. (2016). Organizational culture and leadership, 5th edition (5th ed.) John Wiley & Sons.

How can we help? Do you have a question or are you interested in working with Organizational Talent Consulting? Just fill out the form. We'd like to chat. How can I help? When leadership challenges become complex, having the right thinking partner can bring clarity, alignment, and momentum. Share a few details below, and we’ll explore how Organizational Talent Consulting can help you move forward with confidence. This is not a sales call. It’s a focused conversation to clarify what’s happening and what would make the biggest difference. Organizational Talent Consulting partners with CEOs, executive teams, and boards across West Michigan and nationally. While much of our work is conducted virtually or on-site with clients, our firm is based in Zeeland, Michigan. Choose company size Service Area Executive Coaching Executive Mastermind Focused Workshops Organizational Consulting Speaking Development Program Submit Thank You! We look forward to helping you.. or schedule a call now... Connect With Us Online Contact Us By Phone or Text 616-803-9020 Contact Us By Email Contact Us By Mail info@organizationaltalent.com 9514 Fields Dr Zeeland, MI 49464

Executive coaching for CEOs and senior leaders in Grand Rapids, MI. Trusted support to navigate growth, complexity, and high-stakes leadership decisions. EXECUTIVE COACHING · GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Executive Coach in Grand Rapids, Michigan Leadership Coaching for CEOs, Owners, Senior Leaders, and Executive Teams Serving Grand Rapids and West Michigan leaders navigating growth, complexity, succession, and enterprise-level decision making. Schedule Your Leadership Strategy Conversation When leadership demands accelerate faster than culture and systems can keep pace, even high-performing executives can feel stretched thin. Dr. Jeff Doolittle partners with Grand Rapids CEOs and senior leaders to strengthen leadership habits, sharpen strategic judgment, and build the organizational systems required for sustained performance. This is executive coaching designed for real-world complexity — not theory. Who This Is For This work is designed for: CEOs and founders of growth-oriented companies Family-owned and privately held business leaders Executive teams navigating scale, transition, or succession Board-supported leaders carrying enterprise accountability If your role requires you to: Make high-stakes decisions under pressure Lead through ambiguity and rapid change Align people, strategy, and execution Build leadership bench strength This work is built for you. What Executive Coaching Delivers Clients consistently experience: Greater decision clarity and strategic confidence Improved communication and accountability Stronger executive presence and influence Higher organizational alignment & execution discipline More effective leadership habits and routines The result: leadership that scales with the organization. The Coaching Approach Your coaching is grounded in: Evidence-based leadership development Decision and accountability systems Behavioral and leadership assessments Organizational performance frameworks Executive habit formation Proven coaching model process This is not surface-level coaching. It is a disciplined, outcomes-driven leadership partnership. Why Grand Rapids Leaders Choose Organizational Talent Consulting Grand Rapids leaders choose this work when they need more than coaching conversations — they need a leadership partner who understands enterprise-level responsibility. This coaching is built for executives who: Carry decisions that affect people, performance, and long-term direction Navigate growth, succession, and ownership dynamics Need clarity when priorities compete and accountability blurs Want leadership habits that translate into execution systems Based in West Michigan. Serving leaders nationwide. Clients value: Clear thinking under pressure Practical frameworks that drive sustained behavior change A business-first orientation grounded in evidence A long-term partnership designed for real organizational complexity Local Service Area Executive coaching services available throughout: Grand Rapids Kentwood Wyoming Ada Rockford Holland Zeeland Muskegon West Michigan Region In-person and virtual engagements available. Schedule a Leadership Strategy Conversation If you are ready to elevate your leadership impact and organizational performance, start with a confidential strategy conversation. Schedule Your Leadership Strategy Conversation Download the Executive Coaching Overview Frequently Asked Questions Who typically works with an executive coach in Grand Rapids? Executive coaching clients in Grand Rapids and West Michigan are typically CEOs, owners, presidents, and senior leaders responsible for enterprise outcomes. Many are navigating growth, complexity, succession, or expanded accountability. What sets executive coaching apart from leadership training? Leadership training builds your knowledge, while executive coaching focuses on developing you as a leader. Coaching hones how you show up, make decisions, influence others, and sustain performance over time. Our approach blends coaching with strategic and organizational insights, ensuring your leadership growth translates into real business outcomes. What challenges lead executives to seek coaching? Common reasons leaders seek executive coaching include: • Navigating rapid growth or organizational complexity • Strengthening executive presence and influence • Leading through ambiguity or change • Improving communication and accountability • Preparing for succession or expanded responsibility • Aligning leadership behavior with strategy and culture Often, leaders feel successful — but sense that their current approach won’t scale. How do you measure the impact of executive coaching? Impact is measured through: • Clear leadership objectives • Behavioral and leadership assessments • Decision effectiveness • Organizational outcomes (alignment, execution, performance) • Ongoing reflection and review The goal is practical improvement — not abstract development. Do you work with organizations outside of Grand Rapids? Yes. While based in West Michigan, Organizational Talent Consulting serves leaders across the region and nationally. We work with executives in: • Grand Rapids • Holland • Zeeland • Greater West Michigan • Organizations nationwide through virtual and hybrid engagements Local presence combined with broader perspective is often a differentiator. Our Coaching Comittment Executive coaching should be outcome-driven. We begin with clear objectives and review progress regularly. If the engagement is not delivering value, we address it directly and make a clear plan to course-correct — including ending the engagement if it is not the right fit. Trending Coaching Insights Recommended F or You Embracing Leadership Pressure: A Path to Growth and Excellence Understanding Leadership Pressure Leadership creates pressure. In the Netflix series The Playbook , Doc Rivers shares the philosophy that inspired the Boston Celtics to a championship and his response to racism while coaching the Los Angeles Clippers. One valuable lesson he imparts is that "pressure is a privilege." What is the alternative to leadership pressure? No productive conflict? No aligned goals? No board meetings? No difficult customers? As an executive coach, I ofte How Executive Leaders Build Trust Building trust is increasingly challenging and vital for executive leadership teams. Distrust in society is breeding polarization.... How Leaders Can Get the Feedback No One Wants to Give Most leaders are not getting the feedback they want and need. Evidence suggests that eight out of ten employees feel their leader has an... How Leadership Self-Awareness Improves Financial Performance Whether you're the CEO or a frontline leader, financial performance is a measure of effectiveness. But how do you improve bottom-line performance amid economic uncertainty and the reality that only 3 in 10 employees are engaged? One key is self-awareness. A study involving 486 companies found it moderated business success and poor-performing businesses had 20% more leaders with blind spots. Unfortunately, self-awareness is rare in leadership. A global study found that 95% of

Executive coaching for CEOs and senior leaders navigating growth, complexity, and change. Practical, evidence-based coaching rooted in trust and clarity. EXECUTIVE COACHING When organizational complexity outpaces leadership capacity, performance stalls. We creatively partner with CEOs and executive teams to restore clarity, alignment, and execution at scale. Schedule a Leadership Strategy Conversation Confidential · Diagnostic · No obligation Who This Work Is Designed For This is not personal development. It's a disciplined partnership to strengthen decision authority, organizational systems, and leadership leverage—grounded in evidence, focused on outcomes. Grounded in decades of advisory work with CEOs, boards, and executive teams navigating high-stakes decisions. This Work Is Designed For You If... CEOs, founders, and enterprise leaders Leaders navigating scale, succession, or board pressure High performers seeking stronger strategic leverage Executives carrying organizational accountability This Is Not For You If... Entry-level or emerging leaders Those seeking therapy or personal counseling Career pivots without enterprise responsibility Leaders looking for motivational support only WHAT CHANGES WHEN LEADERSHIP CAPABILITY CATCHES UP TO ORGANIZATIONAL COMPLEXITY Evidence Impact These aren't abstract benefits—they translate directly to enterprise performance. What changes when leadership capacity catches up to organizational complexity +80% Increased Self-Confidence Faster, more decisive action on strategic priorities +70% Improved work performance & communication Fewer execution breakdowns and clearer organizational direction +86% companies recouped coaching investment Defensible ROI for board and ownership justification +6x ROI on Coaching Investment Reduced rework from misaligned executive calls What This Work Delivers Senior leaders don't need traits—they need effect. Each outcome is tied to organizational impact. Decision Authority Faster, clearer decisions under pressure with frameworks that reduce executive hesitation Leadership Clarity Increase precision in how you communicate direction—fewer execution breakdowns downstream Board & Stakeholder Alignment Increase credibility and effectiveness in high-stakes stakeholder relationships Organizational Leverage Build systems that multiply your impact without requiring your constant presence Enterprise Risk Management Strengthen your capacity to identify and navigate strategic and operational risks Leadership Bench Strength Develop the next tier of leaders to carry greater organizational weight Dr. Jeff Doolittle Executive Coach & Leadership Advisor Trusted advisor to CEOs, boards, and executive teams. Deep experience with private, family-owned, and founder-led organizations across industries. Known for direct, candid feedback that challenges leaders when it matters—not affirmation that leaves blind spots untouched. Serving Grand Rapids & West Michigan YOUR STRATEGIC PARTNER The Approach This is not surface-level coaching. It is a disciplined, outcomes-driven partnership grounded in: Behavioral and leadership assessments Decision and accountability systems Organizational performance frameworks Evidence-based habit formation Examples include role clarity audits, decision-rights mapping, leadership habit diagnostics, and executive team effectiveness reviews. Standards of Engagement This is a mutual commitment to leadership effectiveness—not a consumer service with a satisfaction guarantee. Clear outcome alignment from the start Direct feedback, not affirmation Professional integrity over transactional promises Many leaders ask how this work compares to other coaching options. For a concise overview of my approach, download this 1-page summary. Leading After the Founder: Strengthening Culture and Confidence During Growth The Challenge A newly appointed President and CEO succeeded the founder during a period of strong growth. Despite solid performance, employee surveys revealed declining confidence and inspiration, and a stalled strategic initiative exposed underlying cultural misalignment requiring focused leadership attention. Our Approach Implemented a 12-month executive coaching engagement to strengthen senior leader presence, decision-making, and cultural alignment, using Appreciative Inquiry focus groups, a Competing Values Framework assessment, and a one-day culture alignment workshop. RESULT Employee engagement increased by 15%, accompanied by a 16% improvement in confidence in leadership. As cultural norms were clarified and realigned, passive resistance to change declined, and the previously stalled strategic initiative regained momentum, restoring organizational focus and execution. "Dr. Doolittle’s data-driven approach, broad experience, and strong interpersonal skills set him apart. He helped align teams through collaborative, evidence-based decision-making while navigating difficult cultural choices." President/CEO Accelerated leadership effectiveness during a critical transition | Converted cultural insight into action Enhanced President/CEO Confidence | Strengthened cross-department trust and collaboration "Jeff has a way of creating space that makes growth possible even when it’s uncomfortable. I’m so grateful for his impact on my leadership this year. Here’s to another year of growth ahead. Cheers." Executive Leader - Private Equity Firm West Michigan| 240 Million The First 90 Days A preview of how the engagement unfolds—structured for clarity, designed for impact. 1 Discovery & Alignment Leadership context assessment. Stakeholder input where appropriate. Clear outcome definition and success metrics established. Weeks 1-2 2 Diagnostic & Framework Behavioral assessments. Decision-pattern analysis. Leadership habit identification. Initial framework development for priority areas. Weeks 3-6 3 Application & Calibration Real-world application of frameworks. Accountability rhythms established. Progress review and approach refinement based on results. Weeks 7-9 Confidentiality Standard All engagements are held in strict confidence. Board or ownership communication occurs only with explicit CEO consent and is carefully structured to serve the leader's effectiveness. 90 days coaching Why Leaders Choose This Work Deep experience with private, family-owned, and founder-led organizations Enterprise-focused—not generic leadership development Practical, real-world business orientation Trusted advisor to CEOs, boards, and executive teams Long-term partnerships, not transactional coaching Based in West Michigan. Serving leaders nationwide. Embracing Leadership Pressure: A Path to Growth and Excellence Understanding Leadership Pressure Leadership creates pressure. In the Netflix series The Playbook , Doc Rivers shares the philosophy that inspired the Boston Celtics to a championship and his response to racism while coaching the Los Angeles Clippers. One valuable lesson he imparts is that "pressure is a privilege." What is the alternative to leadership pressure? No productive conflict? No aligned goals? No board meetings? No difficult customers? As an executive coach, I ofte How Executive Leaders Build Trust Building trust is increasingly challenging and vital for executive leadership teams. Distrust in society is breeding polarization.... How Leaders Can Get the Feedback No One Wants to Give Most leaders are not getting the feedback they want and need. Evidence suggests that eight out of ten employees feel their leader has an... How Leadership Self-Awareness Improves Financial Performance Whether you're the CEO or a frontline leader, financial performance is a measure of effectiveness. But how do you improve bottom-line performance amid economic uncertainty and the reality that only 3 in 10 employees are engaged? One key is self-awareness. A study involving 486 companies found it moderated business success and poor-performing businesses had 20% more leaders with blind spots. Unfortunately, self-awareness is rare in leadership. A global study found that 95% of GROW Model Frequently Asked Questions Is executive coaching therapy? No, executive coaching is not therapy. While therapy often focuses on healing past trauma or mental health diagnoses, executive coaching is about future-focused growth, performance, and leadership effectiveness. It addresses professional blind spots, decision-making, and character development. Feedback on values, character, and gaps in virtues are not commonly provided in the workplace. Engaging a dedicated and skillful coach can improve character feedback and purposeful character reflection. Coaching helps you move from accidental habits to intentional transformation — not from dysfunction to function, but from good to great. What happens in an executive coaching session? Sessions are confidential, structured, and practical. Leaders bring real challenges, and we work to clarify thinking, examine assumptions, and define next actions that improve leadership effectiveness. How confidential is executive coaching? Executive coaching is confidential. Any organizational reporting expectations are agreed upon upfront, while session details remain private unless the leader chooses to share them. What is the typical duration of executive coaching? Executive coaching engagements typically range from several months to a year, depending on your goals, leadership complexity, and organizational context. Is this only for struggling leaders? No. Many high-performing leaders use coaching to stay effective as complexity increases. “Striving for life-changing habits is a competitive advantage available to any leader looking for a powerful point of differentiation.” – Dr. Jeff Doolittle Leadership Strategy Conversation A confidential, diagnostic conversation to assess fit and explore how this work might serve your leadership context. No pitch. No pressure. Strategic clarity. For CEOs and senior leaders evaluating next-level leadership effectiveness SCHEDULE A STRATEGY CONVERSATION