Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “This isn’t real work”?
You know the feeling. You're doing a status report, prepping for a meeting, or updating documentation—and part of your brain whispers, “This is a waste of time. The real work is what happens after this.”
In Episode 12 of Leadership Explored, we took on this exact mindset—and why it quietly erodes trust, team cohesion, and leadership credibility in organizations of all sizes.
Because here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Leadership isn’t just the visible stuff.
It’s not just the presentations, decisions, deliverables, or big wins.
It’s the planning, the mentoring, the reflecting, the documenting.
It’s all the work.
Why This Topic Mattered to Us
Too often, we see leaders model selective participation. They show up for the fun parts—or the ones that get credit—but skip retros, push off reporting, or delegate away documentation like it’s beneath them.
And their teams notice.
The result?
Misalignment.
Burnout.
Dropped balls.
Last-minute heroics instead of smooth execution.
These aren’t individual failures. They’re system failures. And they start with how we frame what counts as “real work.”
Highlights from Episode 12
🎧 In the episode, we talk about:
The iceberg effect: Why we overvalue visible output and ignore the deep work that makes it possible
How leadership behavior models culture, for better or worse
What happens when “non-essential” tasks get ignored or rushed
Why amateurs work when they feel like it—and professionals show up no matter what
The shift from seeing reporting and planning as chores to seeing them as multipliers
We also share personal stories, metaphors from classical music and sports, and a few brutal—but necessary—truths about professionalism in leadership.
One Listener Challenge We Offered:
Choose one task you normally rush or resent.
This week, slow down.
Treat it like a craft.
Notice what changes—in your mindset, your results, or your team.
Want to go deeper?
🎙 Listen to Episode 12: It’s All the Work – Why Leadership Means Showing Up for Everything
→ www.leadershipexploredpod.com
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Audible, Amazon Music, and more.
We’d love to hear from you.
What’s one invisible or underappreciated task in your role that actually keeps things running?
Drop a comment below or email us directly at leadershipexplored@gmail.com.
We read every note. And we might feature your insight in a future episode.
Until next time—
Keep leading with purpose,
– The Leadership Explored Team