The permission slip: why operating models fail when leaders don’t give (or get) the permission to lead differently

Every operating model asks leaders to behave differently

To make different decisions. To hold different boundaries. To work in different ways. But there's a hidden force that determines whether any of that actually happens: permission.

Not formal authority. Not governance. Not decision rights. Psychological permission. The sense that “I’m allowed to lead this way now”. Even when they understand the new behaviours. Even when the new behaviours align to their personal values. Even when they have been asking to work this way for a long time. They need to be reassured that they will not suffer consequences in doing so (intended or otherwise).

When leaders don’t have permission, they revert. When teams don’t feel they have permission, they hesitate. When the organisation doesn’t grant permission, the model collapses into polite theatre.

Executives feel this long before they name it. People wait for signals. Leaders hold back. Teams look for cues. The organisation quietly defaults to the behaviours it knows and has previously been rewarded for.

Not because the model is unclear. But because the permission system hasn’t shifted.

What the permission slip looks like

Different roles, different symptoms, but the same patterns emerge: the operating model fails when the permission system doesn’t change.

Example 1: The GM in Product who has decision rights but still seeks approval

The model gives the General Manager in Product autonomy. But she’s been conditioned for years to get sign off. So she keeps asking for it.

She’s not unsure. She doesn’t feel like she has the permission to use the authority that she’s been given.

Example 2: The Head of Engineering who wants to push back but doesn’t feel safe doing it

The Head of Engineering sees a dependency risk. He knows the right call. But the old culture punished dissent. So he stays quiet.

He’s not passive. He doesn’t feel he has the permission to challenge.

Example 3: The Chief People Officer who knows conflict is necessary but still smooths it over

The Chief People Officer understands the model requires productive tension. But the organisation has rewarded harmony for a decade. So she protects relationships instead of surfacing the truth and resolving conflicts.

She’s not conflict avoidant. She just doesn’t feel she has the permission to disrupt.

Example 4: The Chief Commercial Officer who wants to prioritise outcomes but is still judged on revenue

The model is outcome aligned. But the Chief Commercial Officer’s KPI’s haven’t changed. So he optimises for what he’s measured on.

He’s not resisting. He simply doesn’t feel he has permission to shift focus even when he wants to.

Example 5: The COO who wants to empower teams but fears being seen as “hands off”

The Chief Operating Officer knows her teams need autonomy. But the old narrative equated busyness and control with competence. So she steps in more than she should.

She’s not micromanaging. She just doesn’t feel she has the permission to lead differently.

Why the permission slip is so destructive

It creates a silent contradiction:

• The model says “lead differently”,

• The culture says “that’s not how we do things here”,

• The KPI’s say “stay focused on the old priorities”,

• The history says “remember what happened last time you tried that”, and

• The organisation says nothing, so everyone waits.

When the permission slip is missing:

• Leaders hesitate,

• Teams wait,

• Decisions stall,

• Conflict is avoided,

• Accountability weakens, and

• The model becomes symbolic instead of lived.

Operating models don’t fail because people don’t understand them. They fail because no one feels they have the permission to behave the way the model requires.

A quick reflection if this resonates

Take 60 seconds and ask yourself:

“What behaviours does this model require, and who doesn’t feel they have the permissions to shift?”

You’ll know instantly.

If you want to go deeper, ask:

“What behaviour would appear tomorrow if people felt fully permitted to lead this way?”

That’s where the permission gap is hiding.

What the reflection tells you

If you can see the permission slip, you’re already ahead of most organisations.

The question isn’t whether the model is right. It’s whether the organisation has granted permission for the model to be real.

Leaders who get ahead of this don’t redesign the model. They reset the permission system that shapes behaviour.

If you’re seeing the permission gap, now is the moment to act

You don’t need more clarity. You need permission - explicit, visible, and reinforced.

If you’re ready to steady the system, let’s work on this together. Here are three ways:

• Interim Executive - when the transformation needs a senior leader inside the organisation to stabilise, steer, and deliver,

• Capability Building - when product and transformation leaders are expected to know how to navigate the people, politics, and performance expectations that come with their jobs, yet no one has taught them these skills during their entire career, and

• Executive Coaching - when senior leaders need a confidential, strategic partner to think clearly, make decisions, and lead through change and complexity.