Are you a great leader?
Are You as Great a Leader as You Think You Are?
I recently had a conversation with a young professional—a regional manager who loved her job and took pride in her leadership role. I asked her if she felt supported in her position, if she had clarity on how to lead her team well, and if she was confident in her leadership skills. Without hesitation, she said yes!
But earlier in our conversation, she had been venting about her company’s biggest pain points: high turnover, constant interpersonal drama, and management burnout.
Wait, what?
Didn’t she just say she was a strong leader? That she felt valued, clear, and confident in her role? How could she be so sure of her leadership and simultaneously describe a team that was falling apart?
Leaders Don’t Always Know They’re Failing
Here’s the hard truth: most leaders don’t know when they suck.
That might sound harsh, but hear me out. You probably don’t think you’re bad at your job either—because you’re trying your best. You care. You show up. You work hard. But leadership isn’t just about effort; it’s about impact.
And if you’re experiencing chronic turnover, drama, or burnout on your team, that’s not just a company problem. It’s a leadership problem.
The fruit of your leadership tells the real story. If your team is struggling, something is missing in how they’re being led. But here’s the kicker: most people won’t tell you what you’re doing wrong. As the leader, it’s on you to identify your blind spots.
The Blind Spot That Changes Everything
If I were coaching this young manager, I would have gently but directly told her:
"You just gave me all the evidence that you are not leading as well as you think you are. High turnover, drama, and burnout don’t happen in healthy leadership environments."
But since she wasn’t a client, I had to tread lightly. Instead, I took it as a powerful reminder: we don’t always recognize when we’re failing.
So, how do you fix it?
The Game-Changer: Learning Your Primal Question
The key to unlocking better leadership starts with self-awareness. That’s where the Primal Question framework comes in.
Your Primal Question is the deep, subconscious question you are constantly asking the world—a question that was formed in childhood and still influences your decisions, relationships, and leadership style.
Once you understand your core emotional driver, you can start seeing how it shapes your communication, reactions, and decision-making. Even more powerfully, when your team understands their Primal Questions, you can lead them in a way that actually meets their highest emotional needs.
The Shift That Transforms Teams
In my experience, when teams operate with this level of self-awareness, everything changes:
✅ Empathy increases—People understand why their coworkers act the way they do.
✅ Communication improves—Leaders stop assuming, and teams feel seen and heard.
✅ Drama decreases—No more unnecessary friction caused by misinterpretation.
✅ Retention goes up—People stay in workplaces where they feel valued and supported.
✅ Productivity skyrockets—When people aren’t caught up in emotional survival, they perform at their best.
No one is left feeling unseen, undervalued, or misunderstood—because their highest emotional need is being recognized and supported. And that is when teams thrive.
Ready to Uncover Your Leadership Blind Spots?
If you’re experiencing constant turnover, drama, or exhaustion as a leader, it’s time to take a hard look at the real issue. Your leadership starts with you.
Want to uncover your Primal Question and learn how to lead with clarity and confidence? Let’s talk. Schedule a free 30-minute call with me, and let’s explore how you can transform the way you lead—without burning yourself out in the process.
