In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Jan Sedlacek, a self-described "black sheep" of Catalysts, to explore the hard truths about driving transformation within large organizations. In his early career, he experienced "Move Fast. Break Shit. Burn Out." Jan shares really authentically and vulnerably about a really tough moment in his life where he felt like he really failed and experience trauma (see article below). This informed the work he does now, which starts with really deep listening about the appetite for change in organizations.
He provocatively compares many large-scale change initiatives to "cleaning the letter T on the Titanic as it’s going down," urging Catalysts to get clear on where they can truly succeed—whether in their current role or somewhere new. Jan lays out a practical framework for assessing whether an organization is positioned for meaningful change, highlighting three critical factors:
A clear strategy and vision
Genuine top-level commitment and mandates
A realistic runway to execute change
One of his biggest insights? How you organize your organization is just as crucial as how you execute transformation. If you’re a Catalyst struggling to navigate corporate inertia—or wondering if it’s time to move on—this episode is packed with actionable wisdom you won’t want to miss.
Original music by Lynz Floren.
