Crossing the Edge: How Ajira Consulting Helps Leadership Teams Transform Through Role Clarity and Shared Vision

At Ajira Consulting, we’re in the business of transformation—guiding leaders and their teams to step beyond comfort zones, cross critical thresholds, and discover the true potential of collaboration. This week, we witnessed one of our most inspiring journeys yet. A leadership team crossed the edge, not just metaphorically, but in every sense of what it means to be an empowered, agile, and forward-thinking collective.

The Evolution of Roles: From Fixed to Fluid

One of the major breakthroughs during our recent coaching was redefining roles. Many teams operate under an outdated framework: roles as rigid titles that define who does what, often leading to silos and a lack of flexibility. Through the lens of Organisational Relationship Systems, this leadership team began to understand roles as dynamic and fluid—functions that evolve depending on the situation and the needs of the system.

This shift mirrors the approach used by Agile teams—where adaptability and responsiveness are key. The team learned to let go of static job descriptions and embrace the idea that leadership, decision-making, and collaboration should be shared responsibilities that flow among members as needed.

Clarity Over Assumptions

Role ambiguity is one of the most common barriers to effective teamwork. Without explicit discussions, team members make assumptions about who is responsible for what—leading to confusion, duplicated effort, and gaps in accountability. During our session, the team embraced the concept of role clarity by openly discussing and explicitly defining roles for different situations.

This mirrors the practices of Agile teams who use daily standups and retrospectives to ensure everyone knows who is leading, who is supporting, and how responsibilities are distributed. By bringing this level of clarity into their processes, the team began to experience less friction and more cohesive teamwork, allowing them to focus more energy on innovation and problem-solving rather than untangling misunderstandings.

Role Flexibility Enhances Effectiveness

Another powerful insight for the team was the importance of role rotation. In a fast-paced world, the best teams are those where individuals are not pigeonholed but have the opportunity to contribute across different areas. Each team member stepped out of their comfort zone, realising that taking on unfamiliar roles wasn’t a risk—it was an opportunity for growth.

Much like in Agile environments, where team members are encouraged to contribute wherever possible regardless of official titles, this leadership team learned that role flexibility can significantly enhance overall effectiveness and resilience. Being able to step in and take on new responsibilities not only grows individual skills but also helps the entire team become more adaptive to change.

Addressing Role Fatigue

Throughout our session, it became clear that some team members had been experiencing role fatigue—stuck in the same role for too long, leading to burnout or disengagement. The solution was clear: create opportunities for rotation, balance the load, and let others take a turn in the driver's seat. This practice isn’t just healthy; it’s essential for creating a sustainable pace of work, a core principle of business agility.

At Ajira Consulting, we believe that no one should feel stuck or overwhelmed in their role. By building awareness of role fatigue and proactively addressing it, the team has moved towards a more sustainable and energising way of working.

Naming the Ghost Roles

The concept of ghost roles—those unspoken influences from the past that continue to haunt a team’s dynamics—was another critical breakthrough. Ghost roles could be legacy expectations, past relationships, or even outdated habits that still subtly influence how people interact. By identifying these ghosts, the team was able to address them head-on, removing blockers to progress and opening up new pathways for healthier collaboration.

This mirrors Agile’s focus on continuously identifying and removing impediments, allowing the team to innovate without being held back by the unseen influences of the past.

Shared Leadership: The True Transformation

Perhaps the most significant transformation was the realisation that leadership isn’t a title, but a role anyone can step into depending on the needs of the team. This idea of shared leadership aligns perfectly with how successful Agile teams function: leadership is situational, and everyone is empowered to lead when the circumstances require it.

By embracing shared leadership, this team unlocked a new level of empowerment and collaboration. Every member felt seen, heard, and capable of contributing to the direction of the team. This created an atmosphere of unity and trust that is essential for both resilience and innovation.

The Parallels to Agile Principles

The transformation I witnessed reinforced how deeply aligned the Relationships systems framework is with Agile principles. At Ajira Consulting, we guide teams to prioritise role clarity, adaptability, shared responsibility, and continuous improvement—all of which are cornerstones of effective teamwork in both the Organisational Relationship systems and Agile approaches.

Role clarity eliminates friction. Flexibility makes teams resilient. Shared leadership fosters innovation. These are the insights that high-performing teams use to thrive, and they were at the heart of this team's evolution.

Crossing the Edge: Stepping into True Leadership

The concept of crossing the edge is all about challenging the status quo. At Ajira Consulting, we believe that growth lies on the other side of comfort. This leadership team moved from confusion to clarity, from rigidity to adaptability, and from individual ownership to collective leadership.

The journey wasn’t just about reassigning responsibilities—it was about redefining what it means to work together, to lead, and to grow as a unit. By embracing role clarity, adaptability, and shared leadership, this team demonstrated the true meaning of transformation.

"Leadership begins at the edge of comfort. True transformation happens when we dare to cross that threshold—together." - Sherpa Ochieng

This encapsulates the spirit of the journey. It speaks to the courage required to step into the unknown and the power of doing it together as a cohesive unit.

Ready to Cross the Edge?

If your organisation is struggling with role clarity, unclear dynamics, or getting stuck in rigid structures, it may be time for a change. Is your team ready to cross the edge and step into a more agile, empowered way of leading? Ajira Consulting is here to help. Let’s connect and explore how our relationships systems based coaching can be the game-changer for your leadership and team dynamics.

Shashi Sopirala Ajira Consulting & Coaching Limited