Teal moves away from the command‑and‑control model where a few leaders carry most decision load. In traditional setups people wait for instructions and are detached from purpose; motivation often reduces to a paycheck. Teal fosters shared ownership, distributed authority and purpose alignment.

Team members surface “tensions” in structured meetings. Each tension can trigger an evolution of roles, policies or processes. This continual micro‑adjustment lets the system adapt and every member acts as a change agent.

Instead of classic managers there are circle role holders who focalize energy: allocating roles, setting or sequencing priorities and linking circles. Authority resides in explicit roles rather than in personal hierarchy.

Yes. Startups need agility and rapid learning with scarce resources. Teal structures are dynamic: they allow flexible role changes, fast decisions and creative responses while keeping shared purpose visible.

Yes. Others can record roles and policies; facilitation plus visual aids (icons, diagrams, color coding) make governance accessible. Once people experience that they can influence structure, ownership and contribution rise. We have used this with teams including non‑literate members who understood and engaged using illustrations.