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9 Leadership Lies You Have Been Told
Here's The Actual Truth...
Justin Mecham
June 07, 2025
Hey Full Potential Zoners!
Leadership isn’t always easy— because the truth isn’t always easy.
Real leadership means facing what others avoid.
Not with fear.
With clarity.
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Being a leader isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about making space for truth— even when it’s hard to hear.
Today we are going to help leaders master this by using:
‘9 Hard Truths For Leaders - It’s Time to Face Reality'.
Let’s dive in!
Download This PDF + my Top 60+ Cheat Sheets At Bottom of Email
4 Real-Life Leadership Moments That Separate Bosses From Leaders
1. The Busy Badge
Scenario: A team member always looks overwhelmed but misses key deadlines.
What to do:
Help them separate urgent from important.
Ask them to list their 3 most meaningful tasks for the week.
What to say:
“I see you’re juggling a lot—what’s actually moving things forward? Let’s cut the noise.”
Action Tip:
Have each team member write one sentence every Monday: “Success this week looks like ___.”
Post it in Slack or a team doc.
2. The Pointless Meeting
Scenario: You run a weekly team meeting that everyone quietly dreads.
What to do:
Replace long updates with one powerful question.
What to say:
“Instead of updates, what’s one roadblock you’re facing or one win you had this week?”
Action Tip:
End every meeting with: “Was this helpful?”
Then adjust based on answers. If not helpful 2 weeks in a row, kill the meeting.
3. The Micromanagement Spiral
Scenario: You assign a project, but your instinct is to “just check in” every day.
What to do:
Give clear expectations up front—then back off and check in after 3 days.
What to say:
“You’ve got this. I’ll check in Friday unless you need me sooner. If you’re stuck, just let me know.”
Action Tip:
If you want to micromanage, write your worry down instead of acting on it.
Wait 48 hours before doing anything.
4. The Dead-End Feedback
Scenario: Someone shares honest feedback, but nothing changes afterward.
What to do:
Show the result of feedback within 7 days.
What to say:
“I’ve thought about what you said about the onboarding process. I’m updating the checklist this week—thanks for speaking up.”
Action Tip:
Keep a “feedback tracker”—one column for the feedback, one for the action taken.
Review it monthly with your team.
Daily Challenge
Choose one leadership truth you want to work on today.
(Example: Letting go of control, recognizing someone, setting clear meeting agendas, etc.)Think of the time of day or situation where you’re most likely to forget this.
(Example: “During back-to-back meetings,” or “When I’m behind on deadlines.”)Write one short sentence that keeps you focused.
Put it on a sticky note or in your phone.
Examples:“Today isn’t about being right—it’s about being clear.”
“Recognition takes 10 seconds. Say it out loud.”
“Give space. Don’t step in unless it’s needed.”
Commit to doing one small thing aligned with your chosen truth.
Just one thing. Today.If your lesson is about feedback: ask “Was that helpful?” after giving it.
If your lesson is about micromanagement: check in less, not more.
If your lesson is about trust: say “I’ve got your back—run with it.”
At the end of the day, reflect for one minute. Ask yourself:
“What moment today showed the kind of leader I want to be?”
“What’s one shift I can make tomorrow to keep growing?”
Write one sentence for each.
AI Prompt (optional): “Act like my personal coach. Today I focused on becoming a better leader by working on: [insert your lesson].
What’s one simple thing I can do better tomorrow to show I’m learning?
Ask me one question to help me think more deeply about this.”
Lead how you wish someone had led you—and do it daily.
What you allow, ignore, or delay becomes your culture.
Recognition. Boundaries. Trust.
These are choices, not perks.
People don’t leave companies—they leave inconsistent leadership.
Start being the leader people actually remember—for the right reasons.
What you do every day matters more than what you say once a year.
Until next time and with lots of love,
Justin
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💡 Book to Read
“Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't” by Simon Sinek (see it here)
🧠 TED Talk to Watch
“What It Takes to Be a Great Leader” by Roselinde Torres (see it here)
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