When a business gets serious about strategy, something predictable happens: not everyone comes with it.
It is one of the most consistent patterns we see in strategic planning. The most common immediate outcome isn’t just improved focus or sharper priorities. It’s change, often within the leadership team.
Strategy introduces clarity > Clarity brings transparency and > Transparency creates accountability.
And with accountability, there’s suddenly nowhere to hide.
Almost every time we run proper strategy with a leadership team, one of three things happens.
- People lift. Some leaders step up. With clearer expectations and support, they grow into the role the business needs next.
- People shift. Others move into roles that better fit their strengths. They remain valuable, just not in the seat they were in.
- People leave. And some leaders, once the direction and expectations are clear, decide (or are helped to decide) that this is no longer the right place for them.
From the outside, that third outcome can look like instability.
From the inside, it’s often strategic progress.
When direction is explicit and priorities are agreed, gaps become visible. Underperformance, misalignment, or quiet resistance are harder to mask. For leaders who were comfortable in ambiguity, this pressure becomes a moment of decision: step up, opt out, or push back.
The uncomfortable truth is this: If a leader doesn’t believe in the owner’s vision, isn’t willing to work to the agreed priorities, or can’t meet the expectations of the role, then holding onto them is the real risk.
In our experience, nearly every serious strategy engagement surfaces at least one key person who is no longer the right fit for the next stage of the journey. That’s not a sign the strategy has failed. It’s a sign the strategy is telling you the truth.
Good strategy doesn’t remove people. It reveals choices. And while that can feel uncomfortable in the moment, it is almost always positive for the long-term health of the business.
Clarity is not the problem. It’s the point.