But My Manager Doesn’t Do That!

It’s a complaint I hear often, and it came up again in a workshop last week. Many leaders want to build healthy habits, communicate better, or create a culture of trust but their own managers don’t always model the same behaviours. It’s discouraging. And it can make managing upwards feel harder than it needs to.

But here’s the message I shared with them.

You don’t have to wait for the perfect role model. You don’t have to sit tight until the organisation magically becomes the culture you want it to be. You might not be able to shift the whole system, but you can shape the culture within your own team.

And for your people, that’s often enough.

Small improvements in clarity, kindness and consistency ripple outwards. Even if the wider organisation feels messy or inconsistent, the environment you create, the one your team experience every day, is real, meaningful and within your control.

Leadership doesn’t start “above you.” It starts where you are.