We’ve all been there haven’t we? Tolerating mediocre leaders? Why do we do it? Why do we not just collectively march out, brandish a few pitchforks and demand some competence? Well, because it’s complicated. Frustratingly complicated. Perhaps not too dissimilar to assembling flatpack furniture really.

Reason 1: Comfort

Ah that familiar, comfortable couch potato; the status quo. Even if a leader’s style can say at best be called ‘laissez-fair’ (or bordering on gross negligence), there’s a strange, illogical sense of secutiy in knowing what to expect. It’s the devil you know after all, and sometimes anticipated disappointment is preferable to terrifying uncertainty.

Reason 2: Hopeful Delusion

Also known as the optimists, doing optimism. Hoping that somehow, someday, things will get better on their own. Hoping that the said leader will perhaps have a leadership book fall on their head, or experience a sudden epiphany in the middle of all the mediocrity, or will trip and land on their inner leadership wizard. And so the waiting and the hoping continues, even though deep (deep deep) down, they know it’s futile.

Reason 3: Selective Hearing

Ah the art of selective hearing. We become experts at filtering out the senseless policies, the half-baked strategies, and pretend not to notice the utter absence of vision and direction. So we nod agreeably, smile politely and plan our escape to the next job. It’s a survival mechanism really, borne out of necessity. We focus on the parts that we can control and let the rest fade away into blissful ignorance.

Reason 4: Retaliation Fear

Then there is of course, the fear of retaliation. Because let’s be honest, speaking your truth to those in power is risky business. Even in the most wokest of workplaces, there’s an unspoken rule about “playing the game”, that is considered far more important. So we keep our heads down, mumble agreement, and continue to bray that yes indeed, we too see the emperor’s glorious new clothes.

Reason 5: Apathy

Just apathy. Sometimes we’re just too tired, just too busy or just too jaded, to start fighting that good fight. After all, there are bills to be paid, careers to be safeguarded and a Netflix backlog that isn’t just going to watch itself. The effort needed to call things out, to make the world a better place, is just not worth it. So we sigh, shrug our shoulders and leave it all for another day.

Profound Conclusion

So there it is. An unforgiving nose-dive into the fascinating excuses for continuing to tolerate mediocre leaders and ineffective leadership. Perhaps there will come a day when we all decide that enough is enough, and demand the leadership competency our industry deserves. Until then of course we’ll just nod sagely, avoid upsetting any apple carts, and yearn for a world with good leadership, that we know would make everything just so obviously better.

Be Better. Be effective. Lead with Competence.

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