In nature, even the smallest creatures can reflect the biggest truths about human behaviour.
One fascinating example is the “circle of limitation” phenomenon observed in ants.
Draw a simple circle around an ant using a ballpoint pen, and you’ll notice something strange: the ant often won’t cross the line. Despite having the physical ability to step over it, the ant becomes psychologically confined, trapped by a barrier that doesn’t actually exist.
It’s a powerful metaphor for leadership and human potential.
Just like ants, people often operate within invisible boundaries they’ve unconsciously accepted as real. These limits might come from outdated beliefs, past failures, cultural norms, or a fear of being wrong.
Over time, they shape how people show up, what they attempt, and how they lead.
According to a 2023 study by McKinsey, 70% of executives admit to holding back bold decisions due to fear of failure or perceived organisational constraints, not actual capability.
These self-imposed circles reduce innovation, flatten initiative, and limit influence.
In leadership, this plays out in countless ways. A high-potential leader might avoid difficult conversations because of an assumption that conflict damages relationships.
A seasoned executive might resist changing course, believing their reputation is tied to being “right.”
A capable team might defer decisions upward, assuming they don’t have the authority, when in fact, no such rule exists.
The result? Performance plateaus, ownership declines, and strategic momentum stalls.
Breaking these invisible circles starts with awareness.
Leaders need to regularly ask:
– What assumptions am I making?
– What boundaries am I working within that may not be real?
It also requires deliberate challenge.
Creating a culture where it’s safe to question, experiment, and stretch beyond the perceived edge is critical. Psychological safety, coaching, and feedback loops are essential tools for unlocking this growth.
Leadership is not just about setting direction. It’s about helping people redraw the lines they’ve drawn around themselves, and step confidently beyond them.
At RDL, we work with organisations to identify and dissolve these circles of limitation, turning passive compliance into active ownership and unfulfilled potential into real performance.
Two ways to break the circle of limitation:
1. Reframe the risk. Ask yourself and your team: What’s the cost of staying where we are? Often, the risk of inaction outweighs the risk of change, but we rarely name it.
2. Run short, controlled experiments. Don’t try to leap the whole gap. Instead, test new thinking in small, low-risk ways. Momentum builds confidence, and confidence expands the circle.
The real barrier isn’t capability, it’s perception. And once leaders challenge the lines they’ve drawn around themselves, performance isn’t just unlocked, it accelerates.
Step outside the circle. That’s where the real growth begins, and this what RDL is great as developing in others.
RDL:- Results Driven Leadership
