The Company You Think You Run Does Not Exist

The Company You Think You Run Does Not Exist, First Edition. By David Rollason.

This book is about the gap between the organisation you believe you are leading and the organisation that actually exists. Every leader carries an internal picture of their company. This picture is shaped by experience, ambition, strategy, and the stories that are repeated in meetings and presentations. It is the organisation as intended. It is coherent, rational, and aligned. It is the version that appears in slide decks and planning documents.

Yet the organisation people experience day to day is rarely the same as the one presented in these narratives. The real organisation is shaped by habits, relationships, workarounds, personal judgement, and the emotional tone of leadership. It is found in how meetings actually run, how decisions are actually made, and how people interact when work becomes difficult. It is shaped through behaviour rather than intention.

The two versions of the organisation often drift apart without anyone noticing. The distance does not widen because of incompetence or lack of care. It widens because complexity accumulates. It widens because leaders become more distant from the day-to-day environment as the organisation grows. It widens because people naturally filter information as it moves upward. They simplify. They adjust. They shield. This creates a polished narrative, and over time, the narrative becomes accepted as truth.

When the gap grows large enough, decisions become misaligned. Leaders set direction based on the organisation in their mind, while employees act based on the organisation they experience. The result is frustration. Leaders may feel that progress is slow. Employees may feel that expectations are unrealistic. Managers may feel caught between the two. Everyone may be working hard, yet outcomes do not match effort.

This book is not about blame or critique. It is about understanding. When leaders see the organisation clearly, they can lead it effectively. When they attempt to lead the idealised organisation rather than the real one, progress becomes heavy and inconsistent. The work of leadership is to close the gap between perception and reality. This requires attention, observation, and calm engagement with how work actually happens.