Applying Unfolded: Finding Agency in the Middle of Change

Change is inevitable—but agency is optional.

In this episode of the Leadership Vision Podcast, we explore how leaders can apply the principles from Unfolded: Lessons in Transformation from an Origami Crane when change isn’t chosen, planned, or convenient. Through reflection, story, and practical insight, this conversation invites leaders to rediscover their capacity to grow, adapt, and lead with intention—even in uncertainty.

Why this Matters

Many leaders today aren’t choosing change; change is happening to them. Organizational shifts, cultural disruption, personal transitions, and ongoing uncertainty have left many feeling reactive, depleted, or stuck. Rather than offering a quick fix, this conversation invites leaders to pause and reflect on the deeper forces shaping who they are and how they show up.

Drawing from the book’s central metaphor—the origami crane made of a map—Brian and Linda encourage leaders to examine the people and places that have shaped them, both in the past and the present. These influences form the “folds and grooves” of our leadership: patterns that give us strength, endurance, and perspective, but can also limit growth if left unexamined.

Through stories from coaching conversations, reflections on lived experience, and practical invitations, this episode re-frames change as an opportunity—not to become someone new, but to reclaim agency, courage, and clarity in how we lead.

1. Change Isn’t Always Chosen—But Agency Still Exists

Many leaders assume transformation only happens when we initiate it. This episode challenges that belief by naming a reality leaders know well: change often arrives uninvited. The question isn’t “Did I choose this?” but “How will I respond?”

Agency begins when leaders recognize they still have influence over how they show up, who they listen to, and what story they’re telling themselves about the moment.

2. The People and Places That Shape Us Still Matter

Brian and Linda invite leaders to reflect on two formative forces:

• People – mentors, critics, encouragers, teammates, voices of support or doubt
• Places – schools, teams, organizations, communities, seasons of life

By inventorying these influences—without judgment—leaders can better understand why they lead the way they do and where change may be asking for attention.

3. Your Lived Experience Is Your Best Teacher

Rather than starting with theory, this episode emphasizes reflection. Leaders are encouraged to look back at moments when they’ve already changed, adapted, or grown.

The insight is simple but powerful:

If you’ve changed before, you can change again.

This reframing builds confidence and reminds leaders that growth isn’t foreign—it’s familiar.

4. Transformation Happens in Community

Unfolding doesn’t happen alone. Just as the origami crane needs help to become a paper plane, leaders need others—coaches, colleagues, friends—to support growth.

This episode reinforces that asking for help isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom.

5. Leadership Is Also About the Role You Play for Others

One of the most practical insights from the episode is the permission leaders can give themselves not to be the main character. Sometimes leadership means becoming a supporting voice—encouragement, challenge, patience, or perspective—for someone else’s transformation.

Key Takeaways

• Change doesn’t eliminate agency—it reveals it
• Reflection builds clarity and confidence
• The voices you listen to shape your leadership
• Growth is sustained through community
• Leadership includes helping others unfold, not just yourself

Practical Insights & Reflection Questions for Leaders

Use these prompts individually or with your team:

1. Inventory Your Influences

• Who are the people that shaped you early in your leadership journey?
• What places or environments most influenced how you lead today?

2. Examine the Present

• Who are the voices shaping your thinking right now?
• What places (work, home, community) are influencing how you show up?

3. Assess Alignment

• Is how you’re currently showing up a true reflection of who you are?
• If not, what small shift could move you toward greater alignment?

4. Practice Agency

• Where do you have permission to try, play, or experiment—without needing perfection?
• Who could you invite into this process with you?

5. Lead for Others

• What role might you play in someone else’s growth right now?
• How can your presence give life instead of draining it?

Closing Invitation

Unfolded isn’t just a story—it’s an invitation. An invitation to pause, reflect, and rediscover the courage to grow. As Brian and Linda remind us, transformation doesn’t require having all the answers. It begins when leaders remember they still have agency—even in the middle of change.

Our hope is you’ll try.
Our dream is you’ll fly.