Dr. Frances Penafort

Two of his best people resigned. He still doesn't know why.

Most organisations have one. Gen X leader. Grew up by doing. Nobody held his hand. Nobody mapped his career. He figured it out — and he's proud of it.

His team has real talent. He's given them the work. Visibility. Stretch projects. He's waiting for them to rise.

They're waiting for something else entirely.
Two of them resigned last quarter. Exit interview said: lack of growth.

He is genuinely confused. He gave them projects. He gave them visibility. What more did they want?
You called it empowerment. They called it being unseen.

His generation grew through experience. This one expects development to be a conversation — intentional, ongoing, led by the leader who sees their potential.

Not annual reviews. Not random stretch assignments. Ten minutes, regularly. Where do you want to be in 18 months? What are you learning? What can I open up for you this quarter?

He didn't lose two people. He lost the investment the organisation had already made in them.

If you've heard him say any of these in the last 30 days —
• “I gave them everything they needed to grow.”
• “If they wanted more, they should have said something.”
• “Back in my day, you figured it out.”
— that's the leader this episode is about.

You will find out in the next exit interview. Lack of growth. Again.

The fix is one skill. Growing people deliberately — through conversation, not just exposure.

Episode 5 is live. Worth 3 minutes of your week.

Know anyone like this?

Link in the first comment.

— Dr Frances Penafort, MCC

Leadership journeys rarely unfold exactly as planned.

Some of the most meaningful lessons emerge through reflection, uncertainty, and experience.

Sometimes progress is not about moving faster.

It's about continuing to move forward.

What life experience has taught you the most about leadership?

Many leadership challenges begin long before a decision is made.

They begin with the stories we tell ourselves.

About what is possible.
About other people.

And about who we believe we need to be.

Awareness begins when those stories are examined rather than accepted.

What story have you had to challenge in your own leadership journey?

You keep stepping in. They've stopped stepping up.

You know the leader. Cares deeply. Wants the team to succeed. Sets clear targets. Sends reminders. Follows up every other day.

When someone misses a deadline, she steps in. Does it herself. Tells herself it's just this once.

It's not just this once. It's the pattern. And the team has learned it perfectly.

She's working longer hours. They're working comfortably.

You call it stepping in. The team calls it not trusting them.

Every rescue tells them: I don't believe you can figure this out. So they stop trying. They wait. They know you'll handle it.

You think you have a leader who delivers. You actually have a leader holding the entire department on her shoulders — and a team that no longer expects to.

If you've heard her say any of these in the last 30 days —
• “It's easier if I just do it myself.”
• “I'll just take this one — they have enough on their plate.”
• “I asked them three times. I had to step in.”
— that's the leader this episode is about.

You will find out when she burns out, or leaves. And there's nothing underneath her. Because nobody else ever got to carry anything.

The fix is one skill. Accountability that hands the thinking — and the ownership — back to the person doing the work.

Episode 4 is live. Worth 3 minutes of your week.

Anyone come to mind?

Link in the first comment.

— Dr Frances Penafort, MCC
Co-presented with Vivian Yap ~ Coach VY

When leaders feel stuck, they often search for better answers.

Sometimes a better question is more valuable.

“What might I be assuming to be true?”

Awareness often begins when assumptions are examined rather than accepted.

What question helps you gain perspective when facing a challenge?