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We love to talk about leadership—skills, vision, performance.

But according to Gary Hamel, one of the world’s most influential business thinkers, none of that will matter if we’re still leading with an outdated operating system.

In our latest episode, Gary and I unpacked a provocative idea:

The biggest barrier to innovation, speed, and employee engagement isn’t strategy. It’s the system itself.

And the system is broken.

From Superhero to Architect: Rethinking the CEO Role

Gary doesn’t believe the CEO should be the strategist-in-chief or decision-maker-in-chief.

In fact, he says those expectations are part of the problem.

The modern CEO must be:

– An architect of institutional capability
– A multiplier of leadership across the organization

Their job is to build systems, not just strategies—systems that unlock innovation, enable bottom-up leadership, and allow the organization to evolve without waiting for a crisis.

Why Short-Termism Persists—And How CEOs Feed It

One of the most insightful moments from our conversation?
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CEOs often blame investors for short-term pressure.

But Gary flips the lens.

If CEOs haven’t proven they can build or transform businesses…

If they’ve only managed legacy operations or driven value through buybacks…

Why should investors trust them with long-term bets?

The result: a cycle of conservatism, where leaders administer the present instead of designing the future.

Your Organization Was Built for Control—Not Change

Most organizations still operate under Management 1.0:

– Power flows top-down
– Strategy is defined by a small elite
– Innovation comes from outside—or not at all

But that model was invented 100+ years ago.

And it was designed to solve for efficiency, not agility.

Gary makes it clear:

In a world where change is constant, complexity is rising, and talent is your edge…

We need new leadership DNA.

Systems that favor adaptability, experimentation, and decentralization.

The Real Transformation Begins With You

If you’re a CEO thinking: Yes, but where do I even start?—Gary’s answer is clear.

1) Stop solving problems top-down.

Create experiments, engage your teams, and crowdsource solutions from the front lines.

2)Measure what’s really holding you back.

Try the “Bureaucracy Mass Index” to see how much value is lost to complexity and control.

3) Lead a movement—not a mandate.

The most effective change is socially constructed, not centrally dictated.

4) Set a vision big enough to demand real change.

If your goal is incremental, your organization will stay exactly where it is.

Final Thought: If You Want Different Results, Build a Different System

The old model of leadership rewards caution.

But the future belongs to architects of change—leaders who dismantle outdated systems, empower talent, and have the courage to ask, what if we started over?

👉 Watch the full episode here ​

Andrea Petrone

CEO Whisperer | Top 1% Executive Coach and Speaker in the UK | Founder of WCL.

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You need more? Here are other ways to get value from what I do:

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