Chaos Crushes Your Culture
Jan 04, 2026
Have you ever felt like you are drowning in change before breakfast?
Were you shocked when another disruption hit your team just as you recovered from the last one?
You have a chaos crisis that extracts energy rather than builds momentum, and it costs organizations like yours their best people and biggest profits.
The Negative Chaos is Constant
Think about how deeply change infiltrates your organization:
Your boss announced more responsibility for your already-full position description.
Your most talented leader, the one you planned to promote, resigned over lunch.
Your AI strategy got disrupted by a price increase right before you rolled it out.
Change is chronic and often acute so much so that you wake up wondering, "What is going to change today?" Then you realize you are just as tired as when you cut the lights off last night.
Shift from Reaction to Transformation
The traditional approach to change said, "React faster and work harder until it stops."
The T.R.A.N.S.F.O.R.M. framework says, "Transform turmoil into triumph through intentional leadership."
Dave Sanderson's research on the Work Positive Podcast revealed how he survived the Miracle on the Hudson. When US Airways Flight 1549 hit the water, Dave had a simple game plan: Aisle, up, out. But then he heard his late mother's voice: "If you do the right thing, God will take care of you." So he turned back and helped others escape first.
"The first thing you have got to do when unexpected adversity hits is keep your head," Dave told me. "Do not get emotional. Do not take it personally. Ask, 'What does this really mean?'"
Research shows individuals who make other-focused choices during crises report 68% higher life satisfaction and 54% stronger sense of purpose long-term.
The Investment That Pays Dividends
What does transformation look like in practice? Dave introduced the daily investment principle: "Invest in yourself. Read a book or listen to something every day that puts positive things in your head."
Here is the crucial insight: "It all starts with your mindset. That day on the plane could have gone a whole different direction. But I had faith without hesitation."
Your mental mindset is the engine that flies your transformation. Turmoil will knock out your engines at some point. In that very moment, you draw on everything you have deposited.
Your Transform Turmoil Challenge
Try these three actions this week:
- Create Your Game Plan: Write down your simple response for when unexpected change hits. What are your three words like Dave's "Aisle, up, out"? Keep it simple enough to repeat under pressure.
- Manage Your State: The next time adversity strikes, pause before reacting. Ask yourself, "What does this really mean?" instead of "Why is this happening to me?"
- Invest 10 Minutes Daily: Choose one positive resource this week. A book, podcast, or audiobook. Commit to 10 minutes every day. What one thing would compound into significant transformation?
The Work Positive Bottom Line
The best leaders today transform turmoil into triumph through intentional preparation rather than reacting to negative chaos through exhaustion.
Stop drowning in change. Start transforming it so everyone can thrive with Change @ Work.
Got some burning questions? Ask Dr. Joey here.
Taken from Dr. Joey's newest book, Change @ Work: T.R.A.N.S.F.O.R.M. Negative Chaos into a Positive Culture.
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