At some stage, every leader faces a brutal choice:
Do you build Company 2.0 or stay loyal to People 1.0? Use the 20–60–20 Leadership Playbook

Too often, leaders cling to long-time allies even when performance no longer justifies it. That bias stalls transformation more than any competitor ever could.

Running eNPS across quarters, departments, and age groups has shown me why this happens and how to avoid it.

Leadership sentiment almost always splits into a 20–60–20 distribution:
– 20% promoters: loyal champions.
– 60% neutrals: wait-and-see.
– 20% detractors: consistent resistors.

This mirrors Gallup engagement data, change management research, and even Pareto’s principle.

The real trap?

Leaders burn 30–40% of their energy fighting detractors.
That’s the equivalent of 3–4 months of lost leadership bandwidth every year.
Meanwhile, the 60% who could be won over remain stuck in neutral.

The 20–60–20 Leadership Playbook

Promoters (20%) → Amplify them
– Give them visibility with leadership.
– Put them on pilots; let them lead the charge.
– Recognize them publicly. They set culture faster than policies.

Neutrals (60%) → Convert them
– Share transparent data and early wins.
– Involve them in co-creation, not just communication.
– Pair them with promoters on visible projects. Belief spreads faster in pairs.
– Assign quick wins that give them proof and ownership.

Detractors (20%) → Contain them
– Listen once to extract valid signals.
– Fix systemic blockers; ignore personal bias.
– Keep engagement minimal. Don’t over-invest.

Sometimes, detractors are the very colleagues who helped build the first version of the company.
But if they can’t grow with it, leaders must choose progress over nostalgia.

Company 2.0 isn’t killed by competitors. It’s killed by leaders protecting People 1.0.