Leadership Lessons on Repeat—But Is Anyone Actually Listening?

In 1982, I completed my Master’s degree and studied leadership themes that—interestingly—are still front and centre in leadership programs today.

The messages haven’t really changed.

Look after your people.

Recognise and appreciate their efforts.

Encourage autonomy, flexibility, and trust.

Be authentic. Be visible. Be kind.

Four decades later, these same messages are being delivered in TED Talks, MBA modules, corporate workshops, leadership retreats, and LinkedIn posts with inspirational mountain imagery.

So here’s the uncomfortable question:

Have these leadership messages actually worked?

Because when we scratch beneath the surface, many organisations are still grappling with disengaged teams, low trust, siloed thinking, and fear-based compliance.

It begs a bigger question…

If the Advice Hasn’t Changed—Why Hasn’t the Culture?

I don’t believe the problem is the message.

I believe the problem is the uptake. Or rather, the disconnect between what leaders are taught… and what actually shows up in day-to-day behaviour.

We’ve got organisations with polished values on the wall—statements about inclusion, innovation, and collaboration—while the lived experience is closer to politics, protectionism, and passive resistance.

It’s not that leaders are ignoring the advice.

Many think they’re applying it.

But without visibility into the UGRs—the Unwritten Ground Rules—they’re flying blind.

UGRs: The Missing Link

Most leaders I work with are stunned when they discover the real UGRs driving their culture.

They believe in empowerment—but the UGR is:

“Around here, if you make a mistake, you’ll quietly pay for it later.”

They promote open communication—but the UGR is:

“Around here, it’s safer to keep your head down and stay out of it.”

They want collaboration—but the UGR is:

“Around here, departments look after their own turf.”

These unwritten rules are powerful. They shape behaviour far more than official policies or training ever will.

So—How Do We Actually Reach Leaders?

Not with more posters, platitudes, or online modules.

We reach them by:

• Revealing the gap between their good intentions and the lived reality.

• Helping them hear the UGRs whispered behind closed doors.

• Giving them a language and a framework to challenge what’s normalised.

• Equipping them to lead culture, not just manage performance.

We don’t need a new leadership trend.

We need leaders to finally see the unseen forces driving their culture.

And when they do—it’s like flicking on a light in a dark room.

To Leaders Reading This:

You’ve probably heard the messages before.

The question is:

Do you know which UGRs are supporting your culture—and which ones are silently sabotaging it?

Because the culture you have isn’t defined by what’s written on your website.

It’s defined by what your people believe they need to do to survive or succeed.

And if you don’t surface those rules, they’ll keep running the show.

Silently. Powerfully. Relentlessly.