What do you do when you’re already Europe’s most promising climate tech hub, but you realise your internal compass is pointing in three directions at once?

That was the question facing Climate Tech SuperCluster at the start of 2025. With big ambitions to become the world’s leading ecosystem for climate tech innovation, they weren’t short of vision. But as they prepared to scale rapidly, they sensed that something deeper needed attention.

They took the bold step to partner with Alignment Cubed. Together, we embarked on a powerful journey of discovery, not just about strategy or structure, but about identity.

Executive Summary

Climate Tech SuperCluster, a cross-European initiative driving innovation in climate technology, partnered with Alignment Cubed to deepen alignment during a period of ambitious growth. Through a reflective and engaging process, the leadership team discovered their true identity as a Visionary Ecosystem. This insight has since empowered them to make more purposeful decisions, build team cohesion, and align operations to deliver on their world-changing mission.

The Context: Scaling Vision with Purpose

Formed to accelerate climate technology across Northern Europe, the SuperCluster aimed high: to become the Silicon Valley of climate tech innovation, investment, and carbon reduction. Their energy was contagious. Their network was growing. But they faced common growing pains that even the most visionary organisations encounter:

  • Complexity from Growth: Plans to expand geographically and scale operations tenfold were creating new levels of complexity.
  • Strategic Overload: With so many promising initiatives, prioritisation had become difficult.
  • Team Clarity: Rapid expansion brought uncertainty about roles and decision-making processes.
  • Deeper Questions of Identity: What kind of organisation were they becoming—and was it aligned with their mission?

These weren’t signs of failure. They were signs of ambition moving faster than alignment.

Our Approach: Identity-First Thinking

Rather than rush into tactical fixes, we helped the leadership team slow down and reflect. Using first principles and our Strategic Execution Alignment Model (SEAM), we explored not just what they do—but who they are.

Phase 1: Strengthening Cohesion

We started by listening. Our team diagnostics, including the Fearless Organisation Scan and Six Working Geniuses, revealed that people had ideas but lacked shared frameworks for turning them into action. Psychological safety was being held back by the missing organisational clarity.

Phase 2: Creating Clarity

We introduced the four potential organisational identities: Efficient Machine, Elite Team, Giant Monster, and Visionary Ecosystem. Through facilitated dialogue, the team surfaced their aspirations and found strong resonance with the Visionary Ecosystem model.

Phase 3: Unlocking Capability

The final step was translating that identity into decisions. Together, we explored how structure, systems, and behaviours could evolve to support their vision at scale.

Key Discoveries

1. A Hidden Strength: Vision Without Alignment
While the team already thought like a Visionary Ecosystem, many systems and behaviours were still rooted in an Elite Team model. Recognising this gap became a turning point.

2. Team Incongruence
Team members saw the organisation differently. This diversity of views became a strength once the team had language and models to unify around.

3. Blending Models Creates Tension
Trying to operate in multiple modes created friction. The real breakthrough came when the leadership made a conscious choice: to build a true ecosystem and align everything to support it.

Lessons for Any Ambitious Organisation

  • Identity Precedes Strategy: Clarity on who you are enables smarter decisions about where you’re going.
  • Coherence Unlocks Power: When purpose, people, and practices align, potential is amplified.
  • Trade-Offs Are Strategic: Great organisations decide what not to do, just as clearly as what they will do.
  • Clarity Cascades: Alignment at the top enable’s alignment everywhere else.

Conclusion: Alignment as a Force Multiplier

Climate Tech SuperCluster’s journey is a powerful example of what happens when a pioneering organisation slows down to speed up. Their willingness to explore identity has laid the groundwork for sustainable, scalable success. As they continue to evolve, their alignment-first mindset will serve as both compass and catalyst.

We are proud to have been part of this journey. Their story is not just about climate tech. It’s about leadership, courage, and clarity.

“Before, we had strong individual perspectives but struggled to align them into coherent action. Now we have this insight and awareness, the frameworks help us make faster, more confident decisions as a team“.

– Sylvie Russell, COO

“Working with Alignment Cubed was genuinely transformative. As someone who’s always full of ideas, I’d never really thought about how our organisational identity should filter those ideas. Now we use our Visionary Ecosystem identity as a lens for strategic decisions – it’s been a game-changer for me“.

– Sam Goodall, CEO

This case study was developed in partnership with Climate Tech SuperCluster to share insights from a transformative alignment journey. We thank their leadership for their vision and openness.

Is your organisation ready for its own alignment journey? Take a first step to discover your organisational identity by completing our Alignment Diagnostic Tool.

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