Leadership at Identity Level

Under pressure, training gives way to habit. Identity-level work changes the instincts leaders run on — so behaviour holds when it matters.

Why identity beats “tips & tricks”

• Belief → behaviour → evidence loop: leaders act from identity; wins reinforce the belief; the loop compounds.
• Stress-proof: identity drives choices when time is short and stakes are high.
• Scalable: one leader’s identity sets the cultural default for the team.

12-week operating system

1. Weeks 1–2 — Narrative: state the value story; pick 3 outcomes; define 5 metrics.
2. Weeks 3–4 — Rhythm: Weekly Business Review (WBR), crisp 1:1s, visible decisions log.
3. Weeks 5–6 — Decision rights: clarify who decides what; reversible vs irreversible calls.
4. Weeks 7–8 — Coaching muscle: leaders unblock; write one commitment per 1:1.
5. Weeks 9–10 — Raise the bar: remove 10% low-value work; protect focus time.
6. Weeks 11–12 — Institutionalise: simple playbook, owners, and cadences.

Scoreboard that keeps you honest

• Commitments kept (weekly): % of team promises met.
• Decision cycle time: request → decision (median days).
• Blockers cleared: average age of top 5 blockers.
• Velocity: feature lead time / burn-up.
• A-player retention: trailing 12-month %.

High-leverage rituals

• WBR (45 min): 3 metrics, 3 decisions, 3 risks — each with an owner and date.
• 1:1s (30 min): goals → blockers → growth → one written commitment.
• Post-decision review: what was reversible, what we’d change, what we keep.

Coaching prompts (use weekly)

• “What outcome are we buying with this hour?”
• “Who owns the decision? By when?”
• “What 10% can we stop this week?”