RW3 CultureWizard Enters Its Next Phase of Growth
Recently, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of what qualities make an exceptional leader in this highly dynamic, even turbulent, business environment. Not only is the environment constantly changing, but we’re not even sure where it’s going, and it’s going at a breakneck speed.
Add to that, employees are highly stressed from the constant uncertainty. We are barraged daily with news of significant world events that we cannot control; changing prices that affect us personally, and technology that many people fear will doom their jobs.
Globally, 40% of employees say they experience significant daily stress; in the United States and Canada, that level is 50%. Interestingly, managers report even greater stress than individuals: 45% to 39%, respectively.
Two Definitions of Leadership, Two Different Answers
So I asked Claude for names of business leaders widely considered exceptional. The usual suspects appeared, including most of the seven tech giant CEOs. Then I cross-referenced those names with the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. Of that group, only Nvidia made both lists.
Then I wondered: Two of our most common ways of assessing good leadership disagree almost completely. The business media rewards stock performance, bold strategy, and personal vision. Best-places-to-work rankings measure something else. They ask if employees trust their leaders, if they feel heard, if benefits and stability--and culture--make the company worth their time. These lists are asking different questions, and getting different answers.
In fact, what I started seeing is that the same traits that make someone a celebrated CEO may be the ones that make them hard to work for. Relentless drive, willingness to make brutal calls, amazing, far-reaching vision, all of these create the results we celebrate, and all of these have costs with employees. Even Nvidia, the company that is both lists, has its issues with employees. They describe intense hours, and pressure to match Jensen Huang’s around-the-clock pace. Nvidia illustrates that even the best example has tradeoffs.
Scaffolding: The Leadership Skill That Holds Teams Together
When I attended ATD 2026, I was struck by something Katie Willyerd of GP Strategies said. It’s stayed with me for weeks. As leaders today, we are racing to keep up, racing to upskill our teams, racing to integrate new tools before we understand them. She urged us to slow down. Do not outsource your knowledge. Remember that we have the judgment to lead.
So, I’m thinking: In tumultuous times, what employees need from leaders is scaffolding. Clear priorities so people know what to drop when everything feels urgent. Honest information so they are not operating on rumor. Frameworks for deciding when situations are ambiguous. Psychological safety so they can flag problems before they compound. Space to grow into what is coming rather than just react to what is here now.
Scaffolding is not the same as eliminating uncertainty, which no leader can do. It is the structure that lets people function inside uncertainty and keep doing meaningful work. And it requires leaders who have kept their own judgment sharp, which is exactly what Willyerd was pointing to. A leader who has offloaded their thinking has nothing to offer when their team needs structure most.
Which Kind of Leader Are You Developing?
If our two definitions of leadership keep diverging, the question for all of us is which one we are actually developing in ourselves and in the people we are leading. The answer will shape what work feels like for everyone who depends on us.
The divergence between celebrated leadership and trusted leadership is not going away. But it is something organizations can act on. Join us for a session exploring the inclusive behaviors that distinguish exceptional leaders and how organizations can equip leaders at every level to meet the moment.
