This leader was highly driven and eager for promotion but was locked in tension with his boss, the very person who could block him.
We explored the underlying patterns: the need for validation, the framing of conflict as battle, and the assumptions around authority. As he learned to see from other perspectives and regulate his reactivity, something softened. Empathy replaced opposition. That shift allowed him to better meet the expectations of his boss and others and ultimately, he got the promotion. But more importantly, he grew in maturity, groundedness and self-command.