Transformation sticks when people choose it. This week’s On Culture explores why meaning drives adoption and how leaders design change that earns belief.

Driving a 38-foot camper down a dark highway became a metaphor for leadership—fear and focus coexisting on the road to growth. Myste Wylde reflects on change as a series of seasons—growth, transition, recovery, and reset—each demanding its own pace. Research from HBR, MIT Sloan, and Forbes shows that adaptable leaders who balance exploration and execution sustain engagement, innovation, and trust. The only way out, in work and life, is through.

Coherence is the organizing principle of intelligent work—aligning purpose, systems, and behavior so organizations can adapt without losing clarity or trust. The piece examines how AI, autonomy, and culture converge to sustain meaning and human connection in complex systems.