The Sticky Middle

Growth & Courage

May 5

MAY, 5 2025

Growth doesn’t stall at the start or the finish. It stalls in the messy, exhausting middle, because it’s unfamiliar, but not new. Challenging, but not triumphant. True transformation happens when you recognize you're stuck in the middle and choose to keep moving forward anyway.

You don't have to love the middle. You just have to outlast it.

The beginning is exciting. The end is rewarding.

But the middle?

The middle is where most people get stuck, stall out or just outright quit.

I was talking with Kees Kruythoff the other day, former President of Unilever North America, co-founder of IMAGINE, and a board member for several global companies. He illuminated a truth that's easy to overlook: growth doesn’t stall at the start or the finish line. It stalls in the sticky middle.

It’s the middle of a career, the middle of a major project, middle of a marathon (I know this personally), the middle of a transformation where the energy fades, doubts creep in, and momentum slows.

The middle is exhausting because it’s unfamiliar, but not new. Challenging, but not triumphant.

It’s where the initial excitement has worn off, the easy wins are behind you, and the real work of lasting change begins.

Middle management inside of mid-to-large organizations often feel this most. They’re no longer the young disruptors. But they’re also not yet the seasoned executives. They’re right in the tension between pressure from above and below.

But it’s the same for anyone halfway through a big journey. So how do you move forward?

The first step is simple: recognize you're in the middle.

You might find yourself justifying the status quo, clinging to what's familiar, feeling trapped—or falling into cynicism where you once felt excitement and purpose.

Recognize: this is not a failure.

It's simply the middle.

Once you see it for what it is, stop waiting to feel motivated—and simply take the next step. Make the call. Send the email. Start the next phase. Growth doesn't happen at mile 1 or mile 26—it happens when you refuse to quit at mile 13.

And as you push forward through the slow, hard middle, it becomes even more important to stay connected to the bigger picture—the purpose that made you start in the first place.

Not every step will feel thrilling.

Not every moment will seem meaningful.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t critical to the larger transformation.

Kees said it best:

Companies don’t transform by accident.

Leaders don’t grow by staying comfortable.

Organizations don’t thrive by optimizing yesterday’s successes.

The middle is sticky because real transformation happens there.

If you stay aware, keep moving, and stay anchored to your purpose, the middle doesn’t just test you—it remakes you.

You don't have to love the middle.

You just have to outlast it.

Key Idea

The beginning is exciting. The end is rewarding. But the middle is where transformation is forged. Growth doesn’t stall at the start or the finish. It stalls in the messy, exhausting middle, because it’s unfamiliar, but not new. Challenging, but not triumphant. True transformation happens when you recognize you're stuck in the middle and choose to keep moving forward anyway.

Takeaway

You don't have to love the middle. You just have to outlast it.

Build your Movement

What project or goal are you stuck in the “sticky middle” of right now—and what single, concrete action will you take to move it forward?