SpotCo, one of New York’s hottest boutique ad agencies, had hit a roadblock. Seat-of-the-pants management, which worked when SpotCo had a handful of employees, became splintered as the company grew to 40-plus employees. Structure, leadership development and soul-searching were needed to guide SpotCo and its owner through the adaptive transition.

Founded in 1996, SpotCo does cutting-edge print and broadcast advertising for Broadway productions such as Rent, The Color Purple, and The History Boys as well as television clients such as ESPN, MTV, and TBS. Almost a decade later, owner Drew Hodges was frustrated. The company was still growing, but the staff was disgruntled because all decisions had to go to the top. There were few department heads. Employee reviews were done inconsistently from department to department. Minor disagreements often grew into heated arguments, particularly between the creative and business people. There was nothing that looked like a team. Hodges, involved deeply in creative work, knew he had to “kick himself upstairs” and focus on running the company—but he had no idea how to proceed.

Unable to resolve the company’s growing pains, Hodges called CLA after reading about Adaptive Leadership™ in Leadership on the Line. CLA began by speaking with people throughout the company and reporting the anonymous—and revelatory—comments back to Hodges. Then the real adaptive work got under way, working both one on one with Hodges and with a wide range of employees to teach the framework and skills of Adaptive Leadership.

Regular meetings for Hodges, his two top executives and department heads proved productive almost immediately, rapidly morphing from gripe sessions to sessions where it was safe to discuss sensitive issues and express dissenting opinions. Hodges, a strong personality, learned to listen more, talk less and give people more room to make their views known. Everyone learned to step out of the action and “get on the balcony™” to get a clearer view of what was going on in the group

Today, even “hot button” topics are handled dispassionately and efficiently. Decisions are made collectively, and everyone is pulling together instead of fighting turf wars. There are many people exercising leadership, not just one creative “genius” running the show.

“SpotCo’s issues were not technical problems with known solutions, but adaptive challenges that struck at the core of the organization and demanded new ways of thinking and behaving to move forward,” CLA’s Marty Linsky says. “Understanding how they got ‘stuck,‘ then learning to apply proven leadership tools and skills to get ‘unstuck‘ was key to the company’s success.”

Hodges has also benefited personally. Work is more fun; he no longer feels overwhelmed and called upon to be the “parent” and peacemaker. Instead, he “gives the work back” for staff to work out and resolve on their own. “We now work together with one clear vision,” he says. With routine matters under control, Hodges and his team can focus on important strategic questions, such as whether to establish a major branch in the West. With leadership being practiced throughout the organization, SpotCo is indeed on the move.