“Tiptoeing Through Leadership”

Ah, this picture was flipped to me by a business associate of mine on the weekend. I burst out laughing as it reminded me of a so-called leader I had the misfortune of crossing paths with yonks ago...

You know the type! Immaculate on paper. Polished in presentation. The kind of person who speaks in confident, slow nods—as if wisdom is simply a matter of cadence. They had all the fingertips: the title, the jargon, the LinkedIn gravitas. All “Book Smart” v “Street Smart”!
But spend five minutes working with them, and you realise… there are no toetips...

They move, but nothing really progresses. Decisions are theatrical. Direction is vague. Accountability is mysteriously absent – as I call them, the “Teflon” crew – nothing sticks to them!. It’s all tiptoe—careful, surface-level motion that never quite connects with the ground reality everyone else is dealing with.

Much like the image: hypnotic, authoritative, and just convincing enough to make you question yourself—until you actually think about what’s being said. Then it unravels.

“Let’s be more strategic.”
“Take ownership.”
“Just make it happen.”

Translation: “I’ve climbed higher than my competence can carry me, and now I’m hoping you’ll build the bridge beneath my feet.”

The real issue isn’t that these leaders don’t know everything—no one does. It’s that they don’t know anything meaningful yet operate with absolute certainty. And somehow, that certainty gets rewarded. Promoted, even, and yup, earn the big bucks!

Because in too many organisations, sounding right beats being right. Optics trump outcomes. And confidence—no matter how hollow—travels faster up the ladder than competence ever will.

Working for someone like this is like being stuck in that spiral behind them. The more you stare, the more disoriented you become. You start second-guessing clear thinking, over-explaining obvious problems, wondering if you’re the one missing something… You’re not!
You’re just watching someone tiptoe through a role that requires actual footing.

So, you adapt. You ground yourself in facts. You document everything. You stop being dazzled by delivery and start interrogating substance. And you quietly accept a hard truth:

Some people have fingertips - Very few have toetips.
And far too many organisations can’t tell the difference!

Does this ring a bell with any of you?

MC