Coaching Spotlight - Case Study: The leadership tipping point

Case Study: The Leadership Tipping Point

What is one of the biggest de-railers for a senior leader’s career?

At the most senior levels, the decisions a leader makes ripple across functions, geographies, and cultures. The pressure is immense: clarity is scarce, complexity is constant, and yet these leaders are the very ones responsible for setting direction.

One of the most critical areas I work on with executives is their ability to manage complexity at pace—a skill that underpins effective decision-making and sustained business impact (Lever 2 of our Four Levers of Leadership Impact®).

When Expertise Becomes a Limiter

For many leaders, this complexity can trigger familiar derailers: imposter syndrome, overreliance on “tried and tested” approaches, or paralysis in decision-making.

It’s natural to lean into expertise—after all, it’s what has propelled most leaders into senior roles. But there comes a point when expertise alone becomes a limiter. At enterprise level, leadership is less about being the smartest in the room and more about shaping decisions that drive impact across the system.

This is the tipping point. Leaders who remain anchored in their subject-matter expertise risk stalling their career progression. They thrive in their functional lane, but when promoted into broader, cross-functional, or enterprise-wide roles, they can falter.

The Shift Required

Making decisions at this level requires a different mindset:

• Cross-functional thinking – balancing enterprise priorities with local realities.
• Ambiguity tolerance – making bold calls without all the data.
• External orientation – keeping as much focus on the market, customers, and competitors as on internal priorities.
• Risk appetite – leveraging experience, but not getting stuck in it; being willing to try what hasn’t been done before.

This is where mental agility, curiosity, and a “what if?” mindset become the true differentiators of effective senior leadership.

The Leaders Who Succeed

Those who successfully cross this tipping point demonstrate:

• Resilience – the robustness to face daily challenges with energy and optimism.
• Breadth of impact – influencing decisions that extend beyond their function or geography.
• Business elevation – the ability to step back, see the bigger picture, and drive enterprise-level outcomes.

This is the journey from expertise to enterprise impact—the essential leap for leaders moving into the next level of leadership effectiveness.

👉 Leadership Reflection:

• Where might you be over-relying on your expertise?
• What decision today requires you to think beyond your function, beyond what you already know?
• How ready are you to step into enterprise leadership and make the leap to your next tipping point?

NewlandRock increases leadership effectiveness for talent-savvy companies and individuals going through a transition.

Focused on Assessment | Executive Coaching | High Performing Teams  – Internationally

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➰Leadership Effectiveness is the rock of every business.