We cannot simply think our way to change—we must feel it

March 18, 2026 - 3 min reading

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The hidden dimension for all change

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The old must be renewed—we know that. The systems and institutions we have relied on are under pressure. Investments are being made in innovation, and systemic approaches are being employed to bring about real change. But in the midst of all these processes, we often overlook a crucial dimension: the people who are actually tasked with bringing about that change. 

 

The quality of the results we produce ultimately depends on the inner state of the people who are to bring the change to life. The inner dimension is not a supplement to change—it is a prerequisite for what becomes possible in the first place.

 

For many years, I have worked with change processes in the education sector and in collaboration with businesses. In this work, I have closely followed developments and observed how significant momentum and strong ambitions do not necessarily translate into real change in practice.

This raises a key question: Why is it so difficult to create real change? Because even the strongest strategies are ultimately realized—or hindered—by people. By our courage, our habits, and our ideas about what is possible.

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In my work with inner leadership, I’ve found that change only begins to happen when people truly feel the need for it and can see the purpose behind it. Changing ingrained patterns of thought and behavior requires more than sound analysis and strong strategies. It requires a deeper awareness of what the change actually calls forth in us. 

And here an interesting paradox arises: We try to create change through analyses, strategies, and new ideas—but people do not create change through these alone. We must be able to feel that we—organizationally, professionally, and personally—have the resources to create the change we are talking about. And understand what it requires of us as human beings. 

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The autopilot of our actions

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American researcher and author Joe Dispenza points out that a large portion of our thoughts repeat themselves day after day. We believe we are living in the present, but in practice, we often replay the past through our thoughts and actions. We end up on a sort of autopilot. We repeat the same patterns of thought and behavior and often make the same kinds of decisions. Not necessarily because we want to, but because it has become our way of being in the world.

The familiar feels safe—and the new feels uncertain.

 

Many organizational change processes tap right into this dynamic. New strategies are introduced, but the people who are supposed to implement them still react based on familiar patterns and experiences. In this way, the past—our learned ways of thinking and reacting—can continue to shape the future. If we do not become aware of where our actions stem from, tomorrow will easily come to resemble yesterday.

 

In this way, the past—quietly and almost imperceptibly—will shape the future.

 

The inner state from which we act

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The German economist and systems thinker Otto Scharmer, known for Theory U, makes a related point: Change depends to a large extent on the inner state from which we act. It is not only what we do that matters—but also from where we do it.

 

If we act out of fear, control, or old assumptions, we will often reproduce the status quo. But if we manage to take a step back and open our awareness—what Scharmer calls co-sensing—we can begin to see the situation in new ways. From here, new perspectives and actions can begin to take shape and crystallize into action.

But this action demands something of us. It requires that we not only think differently, but that we dare to be in the unknown. 

 

The overlooked dimension: the body

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In my work on inner leadership, I often ask participants to close their eyes and sense how an assumption or a new decision feels in their bodies. For many, this is a new concept. We’re used to analyzing our choices—but far less accustomed to sensing them.

I’ve noticed a clear dynamic: Participants can often articulate what they’d like to change. They can analyze their situation and see new possibilities. But something crucial only happens when they bring their attention down into their bodies, stand up, and say it out loud. That’s when real movement begins.

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​One participant told me: “I could only whisper my new intention—it’s still too powerful for me to say it out loud.” This highlights something fundamental: Creating change requires not only new thoughts, but also the capacity to stand by what we want to bring into the world.

When we work with the body as part of the change process, it becomes clearer what is actually possible to act upon—and what still requires courage, practice, or support. In this way, the body becomes not merely a space for reflection, but an active partner in translating intention into action.

 

Transformation starts from within

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If we take the ambition for transformation seriously—in organizations, in society, and in our working lives—we must also take this inner dimension seriously. Systems do not change solely through strategies and models. They change through people who begin to see, feel, and act differently, within ourselves and in our interactions with one another.

 

It takes courage. It takes courage to truly listen to one another, to make decisions without absolute certainty. It takes the ability to stand in the uncertainty without falling back into the familiar. It requires that we be just as curious about the process as we are about the outcome. 

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When we develop strategies and action plans, we rarely ask: What does this change actually require of each individual, and what does it require of the way we interact with one another? What should employees do differently this time compared to the many times before? How do we create a space for co-sensing, where the solution emerges through listening, understanding, and creating change together?

 

This is where impact happens—not just in the strategy, but in people’s ability to embrace the change and bring it to life together. And this process may be more physical than we imagine. 

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We cannot simply think our way to change. We must feel it and make room for the process of change itself. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves a more fundamental question:

What does this change actually require of each individual and of the people who must carry it forward together?