Jesse DeYoung

Insights from Jesse

1. 1. Understanding the Five Stages of Organizational Doubt
      The five stages of doubt help leaders understand where their team members might be struggling:

• Suspended Doubt: This stage reflects individuals with no perceived doubt. They are usually new team members filled with enthusiasm and optimism.
• Operational Doubt: Team members question how things are done. Their concerns focus on tactical decisions, processes, or policies.
• Ideological Doubt: This deeper level involves questioning what the organization does. Team members may disagree with core strategies, methods, or even the mission itself.
• Ethical Doubt: Doubt escalates to questioning who is leading. Leaders’ integrity, motives, or competence may be under scrutiny.
• Absolute Doubt: At this critical stage, trust in the entire organization is lost. Individuals in this state often disengage or become active disruptors.

2. How Doubt Progresses and the Cost of Inaction
   DeYoung explained that unaddressed concerns naturally escalate. If a practical question about how something is done isn’t resolved, it can morph into doubts about why the organization exists. Left unchecked, these doubts eventually erode trust in leadership.
   
   “The deeper the doubt, the greater the internal tension—not just with the organization, but personally and relationally.”
   
   When leaders fail to engage with concerns early, they risk creating a toxic environment where frustration builds, productivity drops, and team cohesion suffers.

3. The Danger of Quiet Quitting and Disruption
   
   DeYoung referenced a McKinsey study that found quiet quitters—those who only meet minimal job expectations—can make up 20-40% of an organization. Even more concerning, up to 11% of these individuals may become active disruptors, working against the organization’s goals.

• Quiet Quitters: They fulfill basic job requirements but are disengaged, often isolating themselves from team culture.
• Disruptors: Unlike quiet quitters, disruptors may be vocal and actively critical, rallying others to their cause. They can appear productive but undermine leadership and create division.

4. Strategies for Leaders: Address Doubt Early
   
   Leaders must develop the courage to face doubt head-on, recognizing it as a natural part of organizational dynamics. DeYoung emphasized that leaders should:

• Diagnose the Doubt: Understand where concerns fall within the five-stage model.
• Engage with Empathy: Ask meaningful questions like “What excites you about our work?” to gauge emotional engagement.
• Reaffirm the Mission: Help team members reconnect with the organization’s purpose and the leaders’ hearts.
• Act Decisively: When necessary, leaders must help team members transition out of the organization if trust and alignment cannot be restored.

5. The Long Game: Pain Leads to Progress
   
   DeYoung shared from personal experience that realigning an organization is painful but worthwhile. After navigating staff turnover and cultural rebuilding, he highlighted the renewed sense of purpose, trust, and team cohesion his church experienced.
   
   “Bringing it back into alignment will come with a lot of pain. But once you get there, you’ll wonder how you ever existed without that clarity.”
   
   Building a thriving organization requires clarity, courage, and relentless focus on mission alignment. Leaders must be prepared to embrace difficult conversations, trust-building efforts, and sometimes painful transitions. The reward? A team deeply committed to the mission and energized to work toward a shared vision.