Lead Better, Even When You're Setup to Fail

A decade after our formal working relationship ended, my former manager and mentor, Laura Waitz, still influences me. Our call scheduled for this weekend is one that I'm already excited to have – to hear from her, learn from her, and share with her.

You see, she wasn’t just reliable in her role as my manager – she created connection, prioritized psychological safety, and invited the best of me to the table. She shared credit freely, asked thoughtful questions, challenged me to think outside the box and take risks, and modeled how to bring purpose and humanity to work.

That’s real leadership. Little to do with your job description; everything to do with the space you create.

And here’s the thing – leadership like this is rare in corporate America, where "what's been done" is chosen repeatedly over strategic intentionality and innovation.

But that doesn't mean we're hopeless.

When you recognize leadership is a skillset that transcends titles, you can begin cultivating it for yourself to drive meaningful impact wherever you are.

Corporate America: Where Management ≠ Leadership

Across most of corporate America, leadership training only starts after promotion into managerial roles – often, when you’re already in over your head.

For instance, at one of my previous companies, I watched the Employee Relations team roll out a holistic manager training program – one that was incredibly helpful, relevant, and engaging. The initial audience? The most senior managers of the firm, many of whom had years of management experience. It took nearly a year for greener managers to be invited. And rising talent? Not eligible until they were formerly promoted into a managerial position.

This story isn't uncommon. First-time managers often step into their roles nearly blind, guessing at what is considered best practices, making things up as they go, or replicating behaviors and styles experienced throughout their career.

It’s like promoting your most consistent water-boy to become your star quarterback — no handoff, no playbook, just pressure to perform a role they were never trained to do before.

And yes, the excuse is always the same: “it's too expensive!” But replacing those same employees? Significantly more expensive – not to mention the impact on their team and respective business in the meantime.

Studies show turnover costs anywhere from 50% to 200% of the employee’s annual salary, with managerial roles skewing toward the high end. Meanwhile, training costs are frequently under one-fifth of a worker’s salary.

And given that investment in training often increases retention 15-20%, not preparing people upfront is just bad business.

Why Good Leadership Matters

Google’s Project Aristotle studied 180 teams across multiple years and found that psychological safety was the single biggest predictor of team success.

Psychological safety is the environment in which individuals feel comfortable and confident in expressing their thoughts, ideas, opinions, and concerns without fear of negative consequences. It relies heavily on leadership that can evoke trust, collaboration, and connection – skills that are too often not taught until far too late. If ever.

The impact is not insignificant.

Teams with high psychological safety delivered 19% higher productivity, 31% more innovation, 27% lower turnover, and 3.6x more engagement.

And supporting data from research in positive psychology emphasizes that when leaders lean into connection, vulnerability, and inclusion, organizational resilience and creativity follow.

To put it simply: employees that feel safe to try, fail, and learn from the process are the employees that become successful powerhouses.

How do you create those employees? Strong leadership.

Cultivating Leadership – No Special Title Required

While it's true that so many companies may choose to "keep on keeping on," there is always an opportunity in every challenge.

And here, you have the opportunity to take charge of your own development and – in doing so – the trajectory of your own career.

Remember, you don’t need formal authority to make an impact. Every small step counts.

So, here are 6 ways you can begin embodying leadership where you are:

1. Clarify Your Values Alignment What really matters to you – integrity, curiosity, generosity, empathy? Research shows we’re twice as likely to achieve goals aligned with our values, and nine times more likely to report high life satisfaction when our lives match our values. Let your actions reflect what matters most to you, even when (if not especially when) no one's watching.

2. Lead with Your Strengths It's tempting to zero‑in on our weaknesses and areas of development. But intentionally using your strengths – what energizes you and lights you up – leads to faster problem-solving, more authentic confidence, and greater impact. My clients use VIA Signature Strengths during our work together, and I highly recommend them to anyone needing to find their own.

3. Limit Distractions Multi-tasking is not just overrated, it's keeping you from being your best. When you focus and reduce distractions, research shows output can increase by over 50% and the quality of our work significantly increases, too. Prioritize presence over busyness, and watch as you end up with more time (and better work) than before.

4. Manage Your Emotions Authenticity is often misunderstood as weaponizing our emotions or inviting emotional chaos into the office. That's not authenticity – that's allowing your emotions to control you rather than flow through you. Instead, learn to notice and process those emotions in a healthier way. Journal, reflect, get yourself a good therapist, or even try what I call the “name and frame”: talk with someone you trust, name what you're feeling, and frame it through either what you need to get past it OR how you've successfully dealt with something similar in the past. As a recovering emotional weaponizer, I use all of these to ensure I'm staying as grounded as possible.

5. Stop Complaining; Start Connecting It’s easy to bond over gripes, especially with our colleagues and coworkers. But what we focus on expands. The more we complain, the more negative we view our experience, and the less engaged, thoughtful, and innovative we become. Instead of rallying around dysfunction or incompetence, begin having conversations that support connection. The best way to start? Ask better questions. (Here is a full list of options from a previous post to get you started.)

6. Hire a Coach I know – a coach telling you to hire a coach. But the reality is that it's immensely effective. Studies show that 70% of individuals who receive coaching report improved work performance, communication, and relationships, while 86% of companies see a significant return on investment. Coaching increases confidence, accountability, and motivation. It enhances emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and the ability to lead through change. When coaching is embraced at every level, it builds a culture of trust, agility, and sustained development that directly impacts the bottom line. If you'd like to discuss more live, please schedule a free consultation!

Final Thoughts

Great leadership isn’t magic.

It’s a skillset you can begin cultivating today – even without a title, budget, or bureaucratic permission slip.

It starts with a single step: deciding you're ready.

Corporate America may still run its leadership pipeline like a broken factory, but you don’t have to wait for that system to catch up.

You can decide to step into your own power, take back the wheel of your own development, and begin cultivating inclusive, effective, impactful leadership today.

So what's stopping you?

You’ve got this.

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If this piece resonated with you, let’s talk. Click here to learn more about my services, or schedule your first coaching session today. You don’t have to do it alone – let’s build the kind of leadership that lasts together.