Are You Ready to Shatter the Vases Holding Your Business Back?

Every organization has vases—unspoken rules, rigid traditions, and outdated leadership practices that were once useful but now hold us back. These vases shape how we lead, how our employees show up, and how our organizations function. We protect them because they feel familiar, because breaking them feels risky. But the greatest leaders—the ones who drive real transformation—are those who recognize when a vase no longer serves them and have the courage to shatter it.

Breaking vases in leadership is about challenging the limits we’ve accepted for too long. It’s about looking at our leadership practices, our workplace culture, and our teams with fresh eyes and asking: What is holding us back? What fears, habits, or traditions are we clinging to at the expense of growth?

Like Dima Ghawi’s story of physically breaking vases as a metaphor for freeing herself from generational and cultural limitations, leaders too must be willing to disrupt what no longer aligns with who they are becoming. Leadership transformation is rarely easy, but it is always worth it.

Some vases are easy to spot—like micromanagement, exclusionary decision-making, or rigid hierarchies. Others are more subtle: praising only perfection, rewarding overwork, or assuming that only senior leaders can innovate. These traditions create cultures of fear and compliance, not growth and creativity.

True leadership growth begins with deep self-awareness. Ask yourself: What internal stories or beliefs am I holding onto that no longer serve me? Am I leading from a place of fear or a place of possibility?

We must also be willing to confront discomfort. Breaking a vase doesn’t just make a mess—it creates a moment. A moment to pause. To reflect. To choose a new path. This is where transformation begins.

Creating space for innovation means intentionally removing barriers. It means rethinking how we define leadership. Are we celebrating diverse voices? Are we making space at the table for those who haven’t traditionally been heard? Leadership is not about maintaining order—it’s about unlocking potential.

The following questions are designed to help leaders step into this mindset—to break free from outdated leadership models, empower their teams, and create organizations where innovation, engagement, and bold leadership can thrive.

Questions to Begin Shattering Vases:

1. What long-standing leadership practices or company traditions are we holding onto simply because “that’s how it’s always been done”?
2. Where in our organization do employees feel the most restricted—whether in decision-making, innovation, or personal growth?
3. What fears are preventing us as leaders from embracing change? Are we afraid of losing control, failing, or stepping outside of our comfort zones?
4. Are we unintentionally reinforcing workplace conformity by rewarding compliance over creativity and innovation?
5. What outdated policies, hierarchical structures, or leadership mindsets are limiting our ability to adapt, grow, and stay competitive?
6. How do we respond to failure in our organization? Do we treat mistakes as learning opportunities, or do we punish and discourage risk-taking?
7. Are we empowering employees with autonomy and trust, or are we micromanaging and creating unnecessary barriers to their success?
8. What personal “vases” are we holding onto as leaders—beliefs, habits, or fears that are limiting our own leadership growth?
9. If we could rebuild our organization’s culture from scratch, what would we do differently? And what is stopping us from making those changes today?

Breaking vases in leadership requires deep reflection, bold action, and a willingness to embrace transformation. It demands that we step outside the comfort of tradition and lead with clarity, courage, and compassion.

We must remember: shattering a vase doesn’t mean we destroy the past—it means we honor the lessons it gave us while making room for what’s next. Growth doesn’t come from preserving old patterns. It comes from creating something better.

Transformation starts when we stop asking how to fix what’s broken and start asking what’s possible. Are we ready to break what no longer serves us and build an impactful, human-centered work culture??

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Building Leaders. Breaking Limitations.

Dima Ghawi is a catalyst for leadership transformation, guiding professionals and organizations to shatter limitations, embrace growth, and lead boldly. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential.

Ready to break the vases holding you back? Connect with Dima at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.