This podcast explore the concept of being tethered, which means feeling restricted or controlled. It builds on the work by Sophie Krantz, Global Strategist, on Untethering.
This can happen in situations like being told you have “no scope for promotion,” having your accent criticised, or being instructed not to ask questions in a negotiation. These experiences can make you feel you “didn’t belong” and want to :cut ties and move on” or “get me out of here now”. Many feel this in organisations or industries, often unable to leave immediately due to norms, power dynamics, and expectations that keep us tethered1. The sources ask us to consider not only when we’ve felt tethered but also when we might have reinforced a tether for others.
Untethering is presented as a way to restore autonomy and agency, both personally and organisationally. It involves questioning place, precedent, and perception, and cutting through controls, constructs, and conditions to see clearly and move freely. The key idea is that it’s often smarter to untether before you are forced to by external circumstances. Untethering is seen as foundational, coming before strategy planning, because it creates the necessary space to think.
When leaders untether, they gain the ability to consider options like rethinking market expansion, licensing IP globally, using AI for efficiency, expanding teams remotely, raising global capital, funding growth through partnerships, and solving problems beyond their immediate borders....
Despite these benefits, many remain stuck. This resistance often stems from fear – fear of losing control, disrupting teams, or facing the unfamiliar. Clinging to past methods traps organisations. While the biggest shifts today come from outside our local context, we often default to what we know and control. We can even inadvertently tether others to our comfort zones, limiting their potential. Data from a 2023 Deloitte survey showed low leader readiness for crucial changes, suggesting the issue is often a mindset problem, with nearly half of leaders feeling overwhelmed and experiencing paralysis.
The core message is that what holds us in one place stops us from going further. By untethering from what no longer serves us, we, and our teams, can go further and faster on our own terms.
Share this post