Liminal Competence: The Skill of Becoming

There is a phase in leadership that almost no one prepares you for. The old way no longer works, but the new way is not yet clear. Your role is shifting, your strategy feels outdated. Your identity feels unstable. You feel you are no longer who you were, but you are not yet who you are becoming. It’s when the scale of the new no longer fits into the capacity of the old and you find yourself stuck in between.

This space is known as liminality - the state of being 'in-between'.

In today’s world, leaders don’t pass through this state once in a lifetime. The challenge is to sit in that discomfort without misinterpreting a capacity stretch as a lack of competence.

What is Liminal Competence?

Researchers Elizabeth Borg and Jonas Söderlund noticed something interesting when studying people living in ongoing change. Some people feel drained and disoriented in uncertainty. Others grow, deepen, and even thrive. The case differs according to capacity.

Liminal competence is the ability to remain in uncertainty without turning it into a problem that must be urgently solved and to stay there long enough for something meaningful to clarify. It is the ability to be in the in-between without panicking, forcing clarity, or shutting down. Like any leadership capacity, it can be developed.

What Happens in the Brain During Transitions?

When we enter uncertainty, the brain reacts quickly. The amygdala - our internal alarm system - becomes more active. It scans for danger. It pushes us toward quick resolution.

At the same time, the prefrontal cortex - the part responsible for analysis, perspective, and strategic thinking - works best when we feel safe and regulated.

That’s why during transitions leaders often feel restless, irritated, and impatient.

Or, on the contrary, stuck and confused.

The nervous system wants certainty. It wants relief. But growth requires staying present in the uncertainty a little longer.

When leaders learn to regulate themselves - through self-reflection, developmenttal dialogue, and support – they stretch their thinking capacity and their thinking becomes more flexible. Creativity increases as they begin to see patterns and possibilities that were invisible before.

To put it simply:

If you rush to certainty, you protect comfort. If you stay with uncertainty, you expand capacity.

Three Foundations of Liminal Competence

1. Valuing the Between Space

Liminality is essentially a generative space. When familiar rules loosen, creativity can emerge. New identities can form. New strategies can take shape.

Try this: Notice when you label uncertainty as failure.

Ask: What might be forming here that I cannot yet see?

Create space to pause instead of filling every gap of unknown with action.

Ask yourself:

What am I trying to rush right now?
What might clarify if I allow more time?

2. Holding a Double Perspective

This means seeing both from inside and outside at the same time. Most leaders get stuck because they only look from the inside out, in which they react to their own stress. The ability to look this way is Systemic Self-Awareness – a framework, which I developed in 2025.

Perspective	Focus	Key Question
The Inside	Your biology & ego	"Why am I so annoyed right now?"
The Outside	The environment	"What pressure is the company putting on my team?"

This ability expands perspective and reduces emotional reactivity.

Practice Systemic Self-Awareness by asking just two things:

What assumptions am I holding?
How would an outsider describe this situation?

3. Turning Experience Into Narrative

When experiences remain unnamed, they feel chaotic. When we put them into words, something shifts. Creating narrative helps the brain integrate emotion and meaning. It turns confusion into learning.

Try this: Journal during transitions. Share your in-between experience with someone you trust.

Ask: What is this period teaching me about myself?

Maintaining Energy and Pace in Uncertainty

Transitions can be exhausting. The brain works harder without clear reference points.

Here are practical ways to stay grounded:

Regulate before you decide

Breathe. Calm the nervous system before making strategic choices.

Avoid artificial certainty

Quick answers feel good but often cost more later.

Ask: Am I choosing this because it’s right or because I’m uncomfortable?

Design small experiments

Instead of waiting for full clarity, try small steps. This restores momentum without forcing false stability.

Separate identity from role

When roles change, identity can feel shaken. Remind yourself: I am more than this position.

Why You Should Not Navigate This Alone

There is one important nuance. Developing liminal competence in isolation is extremely difficult. When we are in transition, our internal mirror becomes foggy. That's why we need those who are in similar transitions or who have walked this path before.

This is where individual coaching and team coaching become powerful.

Coaching strengthens your capacity to stay with meaningful questions. Team coaching helps groups normalize uncertainty, surface hidden tensions, and build a shared narrative without losing trust or energy along the way.

Without support, uncertainty drains. With the right support, it transforms.

Closing Thoughts

In the age of AI and constant disruption, the advantage is now depth.

Liminal competence is about growing through change. The future will to those who can stand there - aware, grounded, and open - long enough for something new to emerge.

If this resonates, perhaps ask yourself:

Where in my life or leadership am I currently 'between'? How am I choosing to meet it?

For leaders carrying more than their job titles…

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