In hundreds of organizations I’ve worked with over the past two decades, one pattern repeats itself: well-intentioned efforts to implement agility often fail—not because teams aren’t trying, but because the underlying problem is misdiagnosed.

I’ve seen this both as a leader of initiatives and as an expert recovery practitioner, repeatedly drafted in to turn around failing programmes or business units.

The true root cause? Insecurity, disguised as various surface symptoms like the need for faster delivery, better alignment, or greater transparency. Recognizing this misdiagnosis is critical.

The Core Misdiagnosis Pattern: “We Tried to Fix X with Agility”

The most common trap I see is summed up in this phrase: “We tried to fix X with Agility.”

Where “X” is any number of surface-level symptoms, such as:

• “We need faster delivery.”
• “We need better adaptability.”
• “Our teams lack alignment.”
• “We need more transparency.”
• “We need more collaboration.”

The typical response is to double down on Agility: more iterations, ceremonies, transparency initiatives, and so forth—while failing to confront the real underlying condition.

When Surface Symptoms Mask Insecurity

In many cases, these surface symptoms are actually indicators of Insecurity—a deep-rooted condition marked by trust gaps, fear-driven behaviors, and leadership that reverts to controlling defaults under pressure. Insecurity is tough to admit or diagnose, so it gets hidden behind calls for more agility.

For example, at a major financial services firm I worked with, leadership publicly championed agile values and empowerment during stable periods but automatically reverted to command and control when faced with turbulence. This created a toxic environment where psychological safety vanished and true agility became impossible. The diagnosis? Not a lack of agility, but Insecurity driving leadership behaviours.

Why Agility Isn’t a Universal Fix

A foundational insight behind CIRCA-CLEAR is that the Agility lever only works when Insecurity is not the dominant condition. As I once observed, “Agility didn’t play well in certain contexts, not universally but in pockets.” These “pockets” are Insecurity zones, characterized by:

• Trust deficits blocking collaboration
• Fear driving people more than opportunity
• Increased micromanagement and control under pressure
• Psychological safety that is performative, not genuine

Applying Agility in Insecurity Zones Makes Things Worse

Asking teams to take risks without safety, demanding transparency when vulnerability is punished, or requiring experimentation when failure is not tolerated leads to chaos and burnout, not agility.

CIRCA-CLEAR prescribes a different response: empathy. Building trust and psychological safety, fostering vulnerability-based relationships, and creating an environment where true agility can emerge.

Reflecting on Past Failures: A Diagnostic Question

Looking back across 20 years of transformation work, how many Agile “failures” were not about executing Agile poorly, but about trying to be agile where insecurity ruled?

My hypothesis—and why CIRCA-CLEAR exists—is that most were the latter, wasting years and millions trying to fix the wrong problem.

Why CIRCA-CLEAR Matters

CIRCA-CLEAR offers a disciplined approach to diagnose which condition holds—Complexity, Insecurity, Rapid change, Contradictory priorities, or Anxiety—and then prescribe the right leadership lever: Clarity, Empathy, Learning, Agility, or Resilience. By moving beyond “best practice” playbooks to diagnostic precision, transformation becomes a navigable journey, not a guessing game.

Call to Action 1: Reflect & Assess

Think about your own experience with Agile or transformation initiatives. Have you encountered instances where agility was pushed but underlying insecurity went unaddressed? How might applying CIRCA-CLEAR’s diagnostic lens change the outcome?

Share your thoughts or examples in the comments—I’d love to hear your stories.