The OLM

Change is one of the most human experiences an organization goes through. It follows a predictable arc: pressure builds, intensity peaks, and something new emerges. Leaders who understand that arc go beyond just managing change. They hold the space where it can actually happen.

The Organizational Labor Model (OLM) is my original framework for change leadership. Built on peer reviewed research and grounded in the science of how transformation unfolds, it uses the birth and labor process as its central metaphor.

At the center of the model is the Organizational Labor Curve: my own mapping of the six stages every transformation moves through. Unlike existing frameworks that describe change in broad strokes, the curve gives leaders a precise diagnostic map: where they are, what's happening at that stage, what's coming next, and what is needed from leadership at each stage.

Running through every stage of the curve are three conditions leaders are responsible for holding: Safety, Clarity, and Support. The heart of the OLM is that leaders don't drive transformation. They hold the space where it can emerge.

The OLM also names the three Failure Zones where most transformations collapse and provides three diagnostic tools to address them. The Readiness Map, the Organizational Labor Assessment, and the Transition Diagnostic help leaders know exactly where they are and what to do next.

This is not another change management checklist. It is a fundamentally different way of understanding what leaders are really responsible for, and what becomes possible when they lead from that place.

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