In Revenge of the Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell introduces the concept of the Overstory, a term borrowed from ecology to describe the overarching narrative that shapes how people behave within a system. It is not a rulebook or an official policy. It is the invisible environment that tells people how to behave, what is rewarded, and what is avoided. In organizations, this narrative often defines success and failure long before a consultant makes their first call or a leader sets a new strategy.
For executive search firms, the Overstory can be a powerful force. It can shape how consultants build markets, how leaders delegate responsibility, and how firms scale or stagnate.
At Tempting Talent, we partner exclusively with US-based executive search firms and UK firms entering the US market. One of the most common challenges we see is not a lack of talent or poor process. It is the presence of an Overstory that no longer serves the business but still drives behavior.
Let’s explore how this narrative forms, how it influences firm performance, and how to consciously rewrite it to unlock growth.
Every search firm has an Overstory. It may not be documented, but it is deeply felt.
It could be the legacy of a founder who built the business through grit and individual contribution, leading to a culture where self-reliance is prized above collaboration. Or it might be the result of a historical success in one vertical that quietly discourages investment in others. Sometimes it is a subtle but persistent belief that certain markets are too difficult or that certain titles never convert.
These beliefs do not show up in training manuals. They show up in decision-making. They influence who gets hired, how people are onboarded, and how much autonomy someone feels they really have.
New joiners quickly absorb these cues, often without realizing it. Within weeks, they are operating not just from their job description but from the firm’s unspoken narrative.
When the Overstory is positive, the effects are far-reaching. A healthy Overstory provides clarity, stability, and direction. It helps consultants feel part of something bigger than their desk. It builds trust between leadership and the team. It reinforces values like accountability, resilience, and innovation.
We have seen this in US firms that have scaled from 10 to 50 people while maintaining a strong culture of internal collaboration, transparent reporting, and shared ownership of success. These firms tend to retain top performers longer and develop future leaders more effectively.
But when the Overstory is negative, it becomes a hidden barrier to growth.
In firms where the environment encourages risk aversion, short-term thinking, or siloed behavior, the consequences are predictable. Consultants second-guess decisions. Leaders micromanage. Internal conflict goes unspoken. Performance management becomes personal, not systemic.
Even when the external branding is sharp and the commission plans are attractive, the internal Overstory tells a different story. And that story is what people respond to.
In our work across the US, we often find that struggling desks, high turnover, or underwhelming BD performance are symptoms rather than root causes. The underlying issue is the narrative that defines what is normal inside the firm.
The Overstory is not destiny. It can be rewritten. But to do so, you have to first make it visible.
This starts with identifying the unspoken rules that govern how people behave:
These signals create the emotional blueprint of your firm. Once you can see them, you can begin to challenge them.
Rewriting your Overstory often involves:
This is not a branding exercise. It is an operational one. It requires leadership alignment, practical infrastructure, and a willingness to let go of stories that once worked but no longer serve the business.
At Tempting Talent, we support US executive search firms and UK firms expanding into the US in identifying and evolving their Overstory. Whether it is designing leadership frameworks, advising on growth strategy, or hiring high-impact revenue generators, our work begins with the environment they are stepping into.
The firms that grow sustainably are those that lead with intention. They do not just hire the right people. They shape the right environment for those people to succeed.
And that starts with the story you tell, both to your team and to yourself.