How Organizations Drift (Without Anyone Noticing)

Written By Steve Foran

Last week, I overheard an answer to a question I didn’t even know I had. It happened on a flight, watching someone struggle to sleep with a neck pillow—while unknowingly using it backwards. That tiny moment revealed something big: people don’t do what’s right; they do what they see.
In this short video, I connect that insight to how teams adopt broken processes, normalize inefficiency, and stop questioning “the way we’ve always done it.”

▶️ Watch the video 🎥

Get our Keeping Level blog delivered to your inbox as soon as it’s released every second Wednesday.

KEEPING LEVEL
Why the Best Leaders Don’t Give Advice (And What They Do Instead) 
Why the Best Leaders Don’t Give Advice (And What They Do Instead) 
Leadership Lessons From a Whiskey Distillery in Cape Breton
Leadership Lessons From a Whiskey Distillery in Cape Breton
A Frisbee, a Friend, and a Leadership Wake‑Up Call
A Frisbee, a Friend, and a Leadership Wake‑Up Call
Leadership Lives Between the Words
Leadership Lives Between the Words
A Dinosaur Story Every Leader Needs to Hear
A Dinosaur Story Every Leader Needs to Hear
One Story Every Leader Should Tell This Week
One Story Every Leader Should Tell This Week
How Organizations Drift (Without Anyone Noticing)
How Organizations Drift (Without Anyone Noticing)
The 10pm Phone Call That Erased My Fear of the Boss
The 10pm Phone Call That Erased My Fear of the Boss
Why Your Gratitude List Isn’t Working (And How to Fix It)
Why Your Gratitude List Isn’t Working (And How to Fix It)
I Caught a Student Cheating—Then Realized I Was Part of the Problem
I Caught a Student Cheating—Then Realized I Was Part of the Problem
How a Mother’s Day Mistake Changed My Perspective
How a Mother’s Day Mistake Changed My Perspective
The Day I Caught a Student Cheating in an Ethics Class
The Day I Caught a Student Cheating in an Ethics Class
Ignorance is not bliss in business
Ignorance is not bliss in business
The One Question Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore
The One Question Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore
What’s Your Business Version of Dermatitis?
What’s Your Business Version of Dermatitis?
Lead With Pronoia, Not Paranoia
Lead With Pronoia, Not Paranoia
VP’s Unexpected Advice That Changed Everything
VP’s Unexpected Advice That Changed Everything
Cocaine, AFib, and the Gratitude Gap
Cocaine, AFib, and the Gratitude Gap
Encourage Up, Down, and All Around
Encourage Up, Down, and All Around
A wisdom walk with a fifth grader
A wisdom walk with a fifth grader
Own Your Greatness—But Don’t Take It Too Seriously
Own Your Greatness—But Don’t Take It Too Seriously
Gratitude in Crisis: A Leadership Superpower
Gratitude in Crisis: A Leadership Superpower
Change Is Hard—Gratitude Makes It Easier
Change Is Hard—Gratitude Makes It Easier
What Painting My Garage Taught Me About Leadership
What Painting My Garage Taught Me About Leadership
Sacred Moments Shape Stronger Leadership
Sacred Moments Shape Stronger Leadership
What CEOs Can Learn from Toddlers
What CEOs Can Learn from Toddlers
Why Negativity Demands a Stronger Gratitude Practice
Why Negativity Demands a Stronger Gratitude Practice
An Unexpected Lesson from a Hotel Bell
An Unexpected Lesson from a Hotel Bell
Leadership Lesson from our Grandson’s Untied Shoelaces
Leadership Lesson from our Grandson’s Untied Shoelaces
Go-Kart Mindset or F1 Mindset: How do you rank ?
Go-Kart Mindset or F1 Mindset: How do you rank ?
Steve Foran
Previous

One Story Every Leader Should Tell This Week
Next

The 10pm Phone Call That Erased My Fear of the Boss