I find a peculiar phenomenon repeating itself very often. Many years ago I was doing some executive coaching and culture building for an organization. I found the CEO very sensitive and insightful. We worked with the team once every 8 weeks followed by a sitting with him.

We made rapid progress in the first year. Then, to make real changes, the CEO saw that he had take steps to work with his own propensities and mind maps. He also sensed that the team was ready to confront deeper issues with long-term implications and in the process also confront the CEO. Till this point, no workshop date or individual coaching date had been rescheduled. But, at this inflexion point, dates would be given, and rescheduled. The CEO would call up and say, “I know how important it is, I really want to but something very important has come up suddenly etc. etc. etc.”.

I have the same phenomenon repeating with other organisations. Recently this process has started with another client. Over a couple of years of work with them, the organisation has moved from the brink of losses to robust growth and international acquisitions. Now the CEO clearly sees that for the next real leap, he must work with himself first, question his own propensities and mind maps and then extend this to his team.

You guessed it, last minute rescheduling! At the threshold of any deep change, two gatekeepers lie waiting, the temptress and the protector. Moving across the threshold, finding new resources and keeping a negotiation going with the temptress and the protector at the simultaneously is real heroic breakthrough. Most good managers get to this threshold. They loose their way either by following the temptress into badlands and find themselves under prepared and inadequate, or listen to the protectors warnings and stay imprisoned in the present. Heros cross the threshold for themselves and discover new levels of competence and capability, leaders cross it with their team.

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