When Senior Leadership Isn’t Ready for Change: Navigating Control, Fear, and the Spotlight

Tracy Mathena
Jul 31
3 min read

I was hired to transform the supply chain—to modernize systems, streamline operations, and build a function that could scale. I came with the experience, a clear roadmap, and the support of peers who saw the need.

But there was one problem: The leader at the top wasn’t ready for any of it.

The Illusion of Control

In my case, the Executive insisted that all communication pass through them. No one—regardless of expertise or title—was allowed to speak directly to the CEO or make decisions independently. Every narrative, every update, every insight had to be filtered through their lens.

Even when seasoned professionals were hired for their skillsets, they defaulted to old methods, clung to control, and positioned themself as the single voice of leadership.

On the surface, it looked like leadership. But if you peeled it back, it wasn’t leading—it was managing fear.

What’s Really Going On?

Over time, I began to understand: this behavior wasn’t about strategy—it was about insecurity and fear of irrelevance.

When leaders operate from a place of fear:

They control, rather than empower
They broadcast, rather than collaborate
They protect the spotlight, rather than shine it on their team

Unfortunately, this mindset kills transformation before it ever takes root.

The Risks of a Control-Centric Culture

In environments like this, several things happen:

Innovation stalls because new ideas challenge the status quo
Morale drops as skilled professionals feel stifled or micromanaged
Accountability blurs because decision-making is centralized
Turnover rises, especially among top performers
And most ironically—the leader becomes the bottleneck they fear others will expose

When leadership becomes more about guarding the gate than building the bridge, change becomes impossible.

So, How Do You Move Forward?

If you find yourself in a similar situation, here are a few hard-won lessons I’ve learned:

Lead Where You Can, Even If It’s in the Margins: You might not be able to overhaul the system right away—but you can still lead your team, improve workflows, and build trust in your lane. Small wins matter, and they build credibility over time.
Frame Change in a Way That Reduces Threat: If the root issue is fear of losing control or visibility, reposition your ideas to amplify leadership’s vision—not compete with it. Find language that includes, not excludes. Instead of “We need to change the system,” try: “Here’s how we can make you more visible to the CEO with real-time, data-backed progress.” It’s a balance between truth-telling and strategic storytelling.
Document Everything: When narrative control is centralized, it’s easy for facts to be misrepresented. Keep clean documentation, data trails, and meeting notes to protect the integrity of your work—and your team.
Build Coalitions Beyond the Control Point: You don’t have to wage war—but you can build quiet influence with peers, cross-functional leaders, and those who do want to see progress. Eventually, a groundswell of support can shift even the most stubborn leadership.
Decide When Enough Is Enough: This one’s hard, but real. Not every environment is ready to change, and not every leader is capable of letting go. If you’ve exhausted every avenue and still find yourself blocked, it’s okay to re-evaluate whether your energy is best spent elsewhere.

Final Thought: Real Leaders Don’t Fear Strong People

True leadership isn’t about owning every decision or being the only voice in the room. It’s about building people who can lead alongside you, not beneath you.

If you’re hiring great talent but refusing to trust them, you’re not leading—you’re hoarding power. And eventually, that catches up with even the most tightly controlled narrative.