Stop Blaming Bad Leadership. Start Being Worth Leading.
The Leadership Blame Game
Employee disengagement is at an all-time high—and it’s costing us. According to recent data from Gallup, global disengagement is responsible for a staggering $8.8 trillion in lost productivity, revenue, and economic potential worldwide source. That’s not just a workplace problem—it’s an epidemic.
And yet, in the face of this disengagement, the go-to explanation has become painfully predictable:
“It’s bad leadership.”
“My manager doesn’t communicate.”
“Leadership doesn’t care about growth.”
“The company says it’s people-first, then lays people off.”
It’s an easy narrative to accept—especially when things feel uncertain. But what if the problem isn’t just at the top?
The harsh truth is this: blaming leadership has become a socially acceptable way to mask personal stagnation. It’s a shield many use to protect their egos from an uncomfortable reality—that they’ve stopped evolving in a world that demands constant reinvention.
This isn't about ignoring poor management when it exists. It's about recognizing that even in flawed systems, high performers find ways to grow. They adapt. They invest in new skills. They build a portfolio of results, not just complaints. The individuals who rise aren’t always the ones with the best leaders—they’re the ones who make themselves indispensable regardless of leadership quality.
In today's environment, companies are still investing in people—but not in the way many expect. They’re reallocating resources to those who actively push forward. People who upskill. People who can work across functions. People who bring more value than they consume. Leadership is being people-first—they’re just being selective about which people they’re investing in.
So before pointing fingers upward, it’s worth asking: Are you someone worth leading?
That question isn’t meant to diminish your worth—it’s meant to empower it. Because the path to growth isn't blocked by management; it’s blocked by the stories we tell ourselves about what we're owed instead of what we need to become.
The Myth of ‘People First’ Betrayal
One of the most common catalysts for employee disengagement today is the belief that companies no longer live up to their values—especially the promise of being “people first.” We see the layoffs, the restructuring, the reassignments, and we take it personally. The conclusion for many professionals is simple: leadership must be hypocritical. They say one thing, then do another.
But that conclusion misses the bigger picture—and it’s costing people their momentum.
Being “people first” was never meant to imply a utopian guarantee of security, status, or permanence. It doesn't mean every employee, regardless of their output or relevance, will be protected from change. What it means—especially in this era of disruption—is that companies are prioritizing the right people for where the business is going, not where it’s been.
That’s not betrayal. That’s evolution.
The job market is shifting. AI skills, digital fluency, and cross-functional capabilities are rising in value, while static experience and outdated credentials are becoming liabilities. Employers are adjusting their priorities accordingly. In fact, research shows a growing trend away from traditional degrees and toward demonstrable, adaptable skills. According to a CIO Dive report, roles that require AI skills offer a 23% wage premium, and job postings requiring degrees are down by 15% since 2018 as employers begin valuing certifications, portfolios, and real-world capabilities over formal education source.
In this context, layoffs and reorganizations aren’t contradictions to a people-first ethos—they’re manifestations of it. Companies are investing in the people who align with the business’s future, not its past. They’re reallocating limited resources toward top performers, emerging leaders, and agile contributors who are ready for what’s next.
This isn’t meant to invalidate the emotional toll of being laid off or feeling overlooked. Those experiences are real. But if we cling to the belief that being “people first” means being immune to change, we’ll constantly feel betrayed by a system that’s simply adapting to survive.
The hard truth is that being "people first" doesn’t mean “all people, always.” It means making tough decisions that protect the longevity of the business and the people who are best positioned to help it thrive. If you're not being invested in, the most empowering question you can ask isn't "Why did they let me go?"—it's "How do I become someone they can't afford to lose next time?"
That shift—from entitlement to empowerment—is where growth begins.
Why “Bad Leadership” Became a Crutch
It’s easy to default to the narrative that bad leadership is the reason careers stall. We’re conditioned to believe that if we don’t get promoted, if we’re disengaged, or if our company isn't investing in us, then the problem must be poor management. But that mindset often serves more as a crutch than a diagnosis.
Leadership is far from perfect. There are toxic bosses, broken policies, and contradictory decisions made in boardrooms every day. But the problem isn’t that flawed leadership exists—it’s that too many employees stop their analysis there. They stop reflecting on what they can do and start fixating on what others aren’t doing for them.
That’s where disengagement festers.
The global workplace is evolving too quickly for professionals to wait for ideal conditions. The most successful employees—the ones leadership actively invests in—are those who take initiative, adapt rapidly, and generate consistent value regardless of who’s managing them. They don't rely on leadership to set the pace for their development. They lead themselves.
Consider this: while companies have reduced degree requirements across job postings, there's been a surge in demand for demonstrable outcomes, certifications, and project-based skill sets source. It’s a signal that employers are looking less for permission slip credentials and more for evidence of momentum. The fastest-growing opportunities aren’t going to those waiting to be led better—they’re going to those proving they don’t need to be led in the first place.
This doesn't mean leadership shouldn’t be held accountable. It should. But leadership is only one part of the equation. You have a role, too. If you haven’t learned a new skill in the past year, if you’re waiting for a manager to notice your potential, or if your strategy for advancement is based on tenure alone, then it’s time for a mindset reset.
Because at the end of the day, promotions, opportunities, and investments are rarely given out of fairness—they’re earned through relevance. And relevance is self-created.
When we remove the crutch of blaming leadership, we gain back our balance. We start to see that the power to grow, engage, and lead doesn’t begin at the top—it begins with us.
The Real Root of Disengagement: Stagnation
Disengagement doesn’t always stem from toxic leadership, unfair policies, or lack of opportunity. In many cases, it stems from something far more personal—and far more within our control: stagnation.
When you stop growing, everything around you begins to feel smaller, slower, and more frustrating.
Projects feel repetitive. Meetings feel pointless. Leaders feel disconnected. But what’s actually happening is that your own professional development has stalled, and the disconnection you feel is a symptom—not a cause.
We live in a skills-first economy. The data is clear: job postings requiring AI-related skills have increased by over 20% since 2018, while degree requirements for those same jobs have dropped by 15% source. Skills—not schooling—are becoming the currency of career momentum.
Even more striking, roles that require AI skills come with an average wage premium of 23%. That means someone who has proactively developed those capabilities—whether through hands-on experience, certifications, or personal projects—can out-earn someone with a traditional degree but outdated competencies. In fact, unless you hold a PhD, your degree’s wage premium is likely lower than the one attached to AI proficiency alone.
That gap represents more than income. It represents engagement.
People who are learning, building, and staying relevant are energized. They’re confident. They contribute more, take initiative, and see possibilities instead of threats. They aren’t disengaged because they’re too busy evolving.
On the other hand, those who haven’t updated their skillset in years often feel left behind—and understandably so. They’ve been told for decades that degrees and loyalty would secure their futures. But the market changed, and many didn’t. And now, disengagement has become the emotional residue of that unacknowledged reality.
This isn’t about fault. It’s about taking back control.
You don’t need another four-year degree to regain your edge. You need momentum. You need to learn something new, apply it, show it, and stack value in a way that positions you as a contributor to the future—not a casualty of the past.
In a workforce being redefined by automation, augmentation, and acceleration, disengagement is often a lagging indicator of one thing: your growth has stopped. The solution isn’t waiting for inspiration—it’s recommitting to evolution.
My 50% Pay Cut
Let me be direct: I took a 50% pay cut to reenter the workforce.
After stepping away from the tech industry for two years, I returned to find that the landscape had shifted underneath me. What was once a competitive edge—deep expertise in on-premise Microsoft infrastructure—was now a liability. The market had moved to cloud-native architectures, DevOps pipelines, platform-as-a-service models, and automation integration. And I had not kept up.
My former mastery didn’t matter. The industry didn’t care that I had been highly effective two years prior. The pace of change had outpaced my relevance.
So I started over.
I took a demoted job title. I accepted less money. But I also made a decision: to adapt relentlessly. I re-skilled, re-learned, and rebuilt my portfolio for a new era of tech. And through that process, I regained not only marketability—but confidence, clarity, and direction.
This experience wasn’t just a career reboot. It was a firsthand reminder that no one is exempt from reinvention. And the longer we wait to adapt, the harsher the reset becomes. In the End, I have been promoted 5 times and tripled my salary since then and that was 7 years ago!
The data supports this. With AI skills now offering a 23% wage premium and many employers actively reducing degree requirements in favor of skills-based hiring source, it’s no longer optional to evolve. If you’re not positioning yourself with the capabilities the market demands today—and will demand tomorrow—you’re putting your future at risk, whether you realize it or not.
And here’s the thing: even executives are being forced to adapt. A study from Harvard Business Review emphasized that senior leaders now need to learn five times as many skills per year as they did just a decade ago to remain effective source. No one is immune to the requirement of growth—not the intern, not the mid-level manager, not the C-suite.
So if you’re feeling stuck, it’s not because opportunity doesn’t exist. It’s likely because you’re resisting the uncomfortable process of becoming relevant again.
Reinvention isn’t easy. But it’s far easier than being replaced.
Want Better Leadership? Be Better to Lead
The most overlooked truth in modern career development is this: leadership quality tends to rise in proportion to your own.
Everyone wants better managers. More recognition. Clearer communication. Faster growth. But few people stop to ask a more important question—am I the kind of person leaders want to lead?
We tend to treat leadership as something that happens to us, as if it's bestowed from above like a promotion or a pat on the back. But leadership is often a mirror. It reflects our own momentum, capability, and engagement back at us.
The most effective leaders invest their time, energy, and mentorship into people who show up with curiosity, competence, and initiative. They align themselves with those who solve problems rather than just point them out. They reward adaptability, not entitlement.
And that's not conjecture—it's strategy.
In today’s skill-driven economy, where companies are rapidly adjusting to technological change, the most valuable contributors aren’t necessarily the most senior or most experienced. They’re the ones most willing and able to evolve. According to CIO Dive, the rising demand for AI skills—and the 23% wage premium associated with them—is reshaping who gets noticed and promoted source. These individuals aren’t waiting for leadership to hand them opportunities. They’re becoming the opportunity.
Ironically, many of the same professionals who feel passed over or overlooked are also the ones doing the bare minimum to stay competitive. No new certifications. No portfolio projects. No mentorship of others. No stretch assignments. Just tenure and expectations.
Leadership isn’t ignoring them out of cruelty. Leadership is simply investing in higher-return assets.
And it’s not just front-line employees under this pressure. A Harvard Business Review analysis noted that executives now need to learn five times the number of new skills per year compared to a decade ago source. If the people at the top are being asked to reinvent themselves just to stay viable, what makes anyone think they’re exempt from the same responsibility?
The call here is not to blindly submit to management or accept poor treatment. It’s to realize that the surest way to earn great leadership is to become someone worth leading. That begins with the internal scoreboard: how much you learn, how well you adapt, how much value you generate, and how consistently you show up as a self-led professional.
Because the truth is this—people who own their growth don’t just get better leaders.
They become them.
Tactical Reframe: From Victim to Value-Add
If you’re waiting for your company to invest in you, promote you, or show you the path forward, you’re already behind. Not because you’re not valuable—but because in today’s workforce, value is proven through action, not tenure.
Too many professionals fall into the trap of workplace victimhood. They feel stuck, underappreciated, and overlooked, yet rarely take meaningful steps to shift that trajectory. It’s not because they lack ambition—it’s because they’ve internalized a system that told them, "Do your job, wait your turn, and success will follow."
That system no longer exists.
The modern workforce favors evidence of value, not potential alone. Certifications, case studies, portfolio projects, measurable outcomes—these are the new credentials. They're also the fastest route out of stagnation.
The good news? You no longer need a four-year degree or thousands of dollars to pivot or upskill.
Platforms like Coursera, Google Career Certificates, and LinkedIn Learning offer micro-credentials and career-track programs that can be completed in weeks—not years. In fact, top tech employers like Google, IBM, and Meta are actively hiring based on certifications and performance-based portfolios rather than formal education source.
AI has further leveled the playing field. With a $20/month subscription to tools like ChatGPT, you can build, practice, and refine skills in real-time. You can ask it to simulate interview questions, help you design a portfolio project, or build a custom learning path that makes you marketable in your next role. What used to require access to elite networks or expensive coaching is now available to anyone willing to take the initiative.
The tactical reframe is this: stop waiting for someone else to tell you you're ready. Start proving it.
Here are a few questions to redirect your mindset:
What skills are in demand for the roles I want 12 months from now?
Am I learning at a faster rate than my industry is evolving?
Could I show measurable proof of value on a resume, LinkedIn, or in an interview tomorrow?
If I were my own manager, would I promote me?
When you shift from “Why won’t they invest in me?” to “How do I become unignorable?”—everything changes. Your engagement rises, your confidence increases, and your value compounds.
Victimhood might feel comfortable because it removes responsibility. But it also removes progress.
Choose the harder, better road: become the person companies are built around.
The Future Belongs to the Adaptable
The workplace is not in crisis because of bad leadership, broken promises, or even economic instability. It's in crisis because too many people are holding onto outdated definitions of value. And the cost of clinging to the past is disengagement, underemployment, and stagnation.
But the solution is clear.
The professionals who thrive moving forward won’t be the ones with the most credentials or the longest tenure. They’ll be the ones who can look at a changing world and ask, “What do I need to become next?”
Adaptability is no longer a buzzword—it’s the baseline.
Employers are shifting faster than traditional education can keep up. That’s why companies are increasingly eliminating degree requirements and investing in skill-first hiring practices. Between 2017 and 2022, the share of job postings at major companies like IBM, Google, and Bank of America that required a four-year degree dropped significantly, as these organizations turned their attention to practical skills and performance potential source. It's not just about reducing barriers—it’s about staying competitive in a world that rewards execution over education.
Executives aren’t exempt either. A recent report from Harvard Business Review emphasized that even top leaders must now develop five times more skills per year than they did a decade ago to remain effective source. Reinvention is no longer an edge—it’s a necessity.
So if you feel disengaged, uncertain, or overlooked, know this: you're not powerless. You don’t need to wait for someone to invest in you, promote you, or approve your next step. You need to invest in yourself.
Adaptability is the new loyalty. And those who commit to learning, evolving, and delivering value—regardless of title or tenure—will not only survive the changes ahead. They’ll lead them.
The future doesn’t belong to the most educated. It belongs to the most adaptable.
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