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Dear Champions of Encouragement

For almost 30 years, we have been supporting companies through transformations. And in doing so, we have noticed something: less leadership is often more. But what do we mean by that?
One of the most widely used methods on our platform is the “7 Leadership Action Logics,” which we adapted from Rooke, D. and Torbert, W. R. Their international study, “Seven Transformations of Leadership,” which has been running since the 1980s, observes leadership behaviors around the world and examines their impact.

Four of the seven behavioral patterns, which are perceived as dominant among 85% of leaders overall, block change: Opportunists, Diplomats, and Experts all tend to preserve the existing system — as, surprisingly, do the Achievers.
Achievers try to change things. They invest a great deal of energy into the system, fight for budgets, motivate people, implement projects, control, coordinate — in short, they try to make things happen.
In reality, however, Achievers are very often slowed down by the other leadership types. This has consequences: based on our observations, Achievers are the most exhausted members of the leadership community. They are also particularly likely to burn out or leave the organization.
But how can leaders and organizations develop if the majority of leaders, despite all their commitment, apparently fail to achieve meaningful change?
Our insight: to move into the green leadership modes — the ones with the capacity to drive change — less leadership is needed.

Two considerations are essential here:

1. While Opportunists seek to position themselves in relation to others, Diplomats try to please everyone, and Experts seek to demonstrate their knowledge advantage over others (which, in itself, works against change, because knowledge is always rooted in the past), Achievers constantly try to move the inherently inert system — that is, other people.
   As we know, this does not work. The only people we can change are ourselves.
   
2. If we want to create meaningful and lasting change, we need to stop trying to change others and instead change ourselves. This means doing less of what currently drives us the most.
   Achievers reduce their drive to achieve and redirect their energy toward developing other capabilities. Experts learn to use their knowledge differently. Diplomats recognize that they no longer need to please others, and Opportunists discover that there are alternatives to fighting windmills.
   The initiative for a more effective approach to transformation can be taken at any level and by any leadership type — without additional cost or effort. It only requires a few simple steps, which we will introduce in the next issue of Encourager, published on July 15, 2026.
   Which leadership type are you?
   
   On the platform, you will find a text that will help you discover which leadership type you are:
   
   
   
   To be continued….
   
   
   Courageous regards,
   Michael Kres
   ProMove TM