A Ritual of Progress: How Structure Creates Space for Breakthroughs

“Thinking clearly is the thing on which everything else depends.”
— Nancy Kline, Time to Think

Entrepreneurs rarely have the space to think clearly. Their calendars are packed, their decisions constant, and their attention pulled in a dozen directions before lunch. And in that chaos, clarity becomes a luxury—when it should be the foundation.

Creating space to think isn’t passive. It’s active. It’s a form of leadership.

But here’s the truth: that kind of space doesn’t just show up. It needs to be held. And it needs to be held intentionally. That’s where structure comes in—not as a constraint, but as a vessel.

For years, I tried to create that space for the founders I worked with by feel. I relied on intuition, presence, and curiosity. Sometimes it worked beautifully. But other times, we veered off course. Conversations wandered. Accountability slipped. We chased urgency instead of progress.

Through my own growth, reflection, and a whole lot of trial and error, I came to a simple realization: structure is not the enemy of breakthrough. It’s the scaffold for it.

So I built a structure—one grounded in presence, shaped by research, and tested in the real world of entrepreneurial leadership. It’s now the rhythm we use in every Tardigrade coaching session. Founders have started borrowing it for their team meetings, board check-ins, and even solo reflection time.

Here it is, in full. Take it. Use it. Make it yours.

The Six-Part Flow We Use (and Why It Works)

Every coaching session we run follows the same six-part flow. It’s consistent enough to anchor us, but flexible enough to meet the moment.

1. Wins + Energy Check
   We begin by honoring what’s working and tuning into how they’re showing up — mentally, emotionally, physically.
   It shifts the energy instantly. When a founder says, “Honestly, I’m drained,” that’s data. We know how to proceed.

2. Commitments Review
   Accountability without shame. What did they say they’d do? Did they do it? If not, what got in the way?
   This is where we see patterns emerge. Follow-through, resistance, overcommitment — the real work often lives here.

3. Focus for Today
   Here’s where we align. “What do you most need today?”
   Not “What’s on your list?” Not “What’s the fire drill?”
   But the real thing they’re grappling with. Sometimes it’s a decision. Sometimes it’s a shift in identity. Sometimes it’s just naming the swirl out loud.

4. Explore
   This is the heart of the call. We coach, reflect, and strategize. We ask questions that cut through noise, because the challenge at the top of someone’s mind is rarely the real one. Too often, we rush to solve a symptom or a secondary issue and leave the root untouched.
   
   Incisive questions are the key. They disrupt autopilot thinking and force us to slow down, examine assumptions, and get to the truth beneath the swirl. Research shows that when well-timed and open-ended, these questions can shift our brain from reactive to reflective, surface deeper insight, and produce better decisions. That’s not just anecdotal. It’s science.
   
   Sometimes, we’ll use tools—a decision filter, a mindset flip, a growth experiment—but the tool is often the question itself. The right question, asked at the right moment, can unlock a breakthrough.

5. Decide + Act
   Insight without action is just indulgence. So we move toward commitment.
   “What will you do, by when, and how will you know it’s done?”
   And, critically: “What do you need to say no to to do this well?”

6. Support + Close
   We land the plane.
   “How are you feeling now vs. the start?”
   “What support do you need before we go?”
   Sometimes this is where the real gold comes out — a moment of clarity, a breakthrough insight, a subtle but seismic shift.

Why This Matters

This flow works because it honors how transformation actually happens: not in giant leaps but in micro-moves made consistently. It creates a rhythm of reflection, decision-making, and follow-through. It builds momentum, and momentum compounds.

It also gives permission to pause, be real, and be honest about what’s working and what’s not. In a world that asks founders to perform consistently, this structure gives them a moment to simply be.

We’ve seen founders take this call flow and run team meetings with it. One client uses it for weekly leadership check-ins. Another uses the “Wins + Energy” opener to kick off board meetings. It works because it’s human. And because it keeps the main thing the main thing.

Steal This Ritual

You don’t need to be a coach to use this flow. You need to care about making meaningful progress, not just staying busy.

So steal it, adapt it, and make it yours. Use it to structure one-on-ones, leadership huddles, or even solo reflection.

Because in times like these, when noise is high and clarity is scarce, a little structure is a radical act of leadership.

If you’re an entrepreneurial leader craving more clarity, structure, and real progress, I work one-to-one with a limited number of founders. I’d be glad to connect if you’re ready for that kind of support.