Protect your people

A leader must fight. Not fight in the literal sense of the word. But be the shield for their team.

The kind that pushes back in the right places. The kind that clears the way for their team to move forward.

Because if you don’t fight, your team will be thrown into the deep end to be randomised. And you can’t have that.

A leader must stand firm; against bureaucracy, against mediocrity, against distractions that creep in for the team, disguised as "alignment" over what is truly right. 

They must be the barrier between your people and the noise. A filter for all things that are not pertinent for the team. The one who says, “No, my team won’t be doing that”. 

A leader questions expectations that make no sense. Challenge the whispers of “this is how it’s always been done.” Fight against pressure to conform.

Because, a leader doesn’t lead by controlling. They lead by clearing obstacles. By protecting focus. By ensuring their people don’t have to deal with distractions.

And when the dust settles, when the noise fades, the team is left undisturbed. Focused. And effective.

This is leadership at work. And it’s easy to be labelled as the a**hole for doing right by your people.