Very few are willing to do what actually causes growth.
Because real growth is disruptive. - It creates tension. - It introduces discomfort. - It can temporarily reduce stability. And yes — it is not always popular internally.
If leadership is about building capability that compounds over time, then growth cannot be accidental. It has to be engineered.
Over time, I've realised something uncomfortable: Most leadership development fails because it tries to inspire people without redesigning the system those people operate in.
Growth is not a workshop. It's a structural outcome.
If you want leaders who level up consistently, you have to design the triggers. From experience, real professional growth tends to emerge when you intentionally create:
1) Ownership of outcomes — not tasks. 2) Real stakes — performance must matter. 3) Exposure to higher standards — no echo chambers. 4) Structured reflection — experience must convert to learning. 5) Identity stretch — move people beyond who they think they are. 6) Proximity to excellence — standards are contagious. 7) Intelligent constraints — scarcity sharpens judgment. 8) Time compression — faster cycles accelerate maturity. 9) Deep meaning — pressure must be sustainable. 10) A culture that reinforces all of the above — even in your absence.
Most organisations apply one or two of these levers. Very few design them together. And that's why people plateau.
Growth is not about pushing people harder. It's about designing systems where staying the same becomes harder than levelling up.
I've written a detailed breakdown of how to operationalise each of these inside an organisation — including what to do, what to avoid, and where most leaders get it wrong. Read the full article.