Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t make it leadership.

In this episode, I call out copy-paste thinking in business, from identical mission statements and tired buzzwords to leaders who chase trends instead of making decisions. Playing it safe, following the herd, and hiding behind “best practices” is draining teams and killing originality.

We talk about why authenticity matters more than polish, how fake professionalism shows up in marketing and customer service, and why real leadership requires standing out instead of blending in.

You don’t need another playbook or permission slip. Sheep don’t make leaders. Stop following.

Please excuse the following shameless keyword stuffing. Bibbity bobbity boo. Leadership matters. Fix your workplace.

Leadership development, real leadership, authentic leadership, leadership accountability, leadership without buzzwords, leadership that works, leadership skills that actually matter. Fix your workplace culture, fix broken leadership, fix disengaged teams, fix bad management, fix toxic leadership, fix copy-paste leadership.

Workplace leadership, modern leadership, bold leadership, original leadership, leadership training, leadership coaching, leadership mindset. Employee engagement, team morale, workplace retention, workplace communication, workplace accountability, workplace trust.

Small business leadership, business owners, managers, supervisors, executives. Stop following trends, stop copying competitors, stop playing it safe at work. Be a better leader, lead with integrity, lead with authenticity, lead with courage.

Leadership matters. Fix your workplace.

Today I’m taking a flamethrower to one of leadership’s favorite security blankets, the mission statement.

Let’s Get Rash: Your employees are not inspired by the framed paragraph hanging in the lobby. They are not rallying behind buzzwords, wall decals, or marketing poetry. They are just trying to survive another Monday.

🔥 What I Cover:In this episode, I break down why mission statements are marketing tools, not leadership strategies, and why confusing the two is one of the fastest ways to lose credibility with your team.

• Why employees do not care about your mission statement
  

• The difference between branding and actual leadership
  

• How mission statements are written for outsiders, not the people doing the work
  

• What happens when leaders rebrand chaos instead of fixing it
  

• Real world examples of companies that say one thing and do another
  

• Why hypocrisy is more insulting than honesty
  

• How values based businesses lose trust when profit and behavior do not align
  

• Why transparency matters more than positivity when things are going south
  

Mission statements will not fix:

• Turnover
  

• Low morale
  

• Bad leadership
  

• Ethical problems
  

• A sinking business
  

Only leadership fixes those things.

🎯 Do This Instead, Commander’s Intent🧠

Instead of hiding behind slogans, I talk about what the military has used for decades, Commander’s Intent.

Commander’s Intent answers two simple questions:

1. What are we doing
   

2. Why does it matter
   

When leaders clearly define their intent, teams stop guessing, stop hesitating, and start acting with confidence. That is how momentum, trust, and accountability are built.

• How to clearly set expectations without micromanaging

• Why uncertainty kills initiative faster than hard work ever could

• How honest leadership creates buy in, even in tough situations

• Why consistency matters more than inspiration
  

If you do not have a mission statement yet, involve your team in creating one. Inclusion builds buy in.

But do not expect anyone to ride or die for it.

Mission statements are not battle cries. They are marketing.

📥 Want Help Writing Your Own Commander’s Intent?

Grab the free Commander’s Intent worksheet at 👉 RashLead.com

Print it. Use it with your team. And stop leading in the dark.

In this episode, I use A Christmas Carol as a lens to talk about something we all feel but rarely name: elitism and everyday disrespect. I’m not anti-capitalism, anti-success, or anti-boss. I’m anti-disconnection. From workplaces to politics to grocery store aisles, we’ve created a world where everyone is competing to matter, and kindness has become optional, performative, or transactional.

I break down how elitism shows up in daily life, entertainment, celebrity culture, government, and most importantly at work, where employees are quietly stripped of dignity by leaders who don’t realize how their decisions actually land. The truth is uncomfortable. Scrooge didn’t disappear. He multiplied. And whether we’re bosses, employees, customers, or citizens, we’re all carrying a piece of him.

This episode isn’t about blaming a generation or a political party. It’s about holding up a mirror and asking a simple question. When did basic respect become so rare, and why did we stop expecting it?

If this hit home, give the episode a thumbs up, share it with someone who needs to hear it, or leave a comment if you agree.

Would you support pay transparency for job listings in Idaho? Share your thoughts at rashlead.com/pay.

In this episode, I break down what job hunting actually feels like today. From pointless essay questions to personality tests, ghost jobs, recruiters taking a cut of your salary, and video submissions that feel humiliating, I expose the reality that most people have no idea about. This episode is for job seekers, employers, leaders, and anyone who wants to understand how hiring became such a discouraging, exhausting, time consuming process. I also explain why hiring is leadership and why bosses must take responsibility for the first impression their company makes. I close by sharing my mission to require salary transparency in Idaho.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share so you don’t miss future episodes where we get real about leadership, hiring, and workplace truths.

Share your thoughts at ⁠rashlead.com/pay⁠.

Why this episode matters

• People who have not job searched recently have no idea how awful it has become.

• Many still believe finding a job is simple and blame job seekers.

The reality of applying

• Job hunting is a full time job by itself.

• Job boards give the illusion of options but applications take hours.

• Most companies require you to retype your resume into their system.

• Essay questions, personality tests, skills assessments, and judgment tests all happen before any interview.

• Video submissions feel humiliating and are legally protected.

• One application can take four to five hours.

The chaos of job postings

• Many states, including Idaho, do not require pay transparency.

• Pay is intentionally left off to attract cheaper candidates.

• Inconsistent postings on job boards versus company sites.

• Companies calling months later to schedule interviews.

• Inflated job titles meant to impress but not backed by pay.

• Degrees required for wages that cannot cover basic living costs.

Ghost jobs

• About 28 percent of job postings are fake.

• Reasons range from disorganization to gathering intel to projecting growth for investors.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

• Resumes must be structured in a very specific way.

• Incorrect formatting results in automatic rejection.

• You often never know why you were rejected.

The numbers job seekers face

• Competitive roles may require up to two hundred applications just to land one offer.

• Career fairs are largely ineffective.

• Networking has an 85 percent success rate, but only if you have connections.

• Some job seekers pay hundreds per hour to career coaches just to navigate the system.

Hiring is leadership

• The hiring process is the first impression of your company.

• Leaders have outsourced hiring to HR, recruiters, and staffing agencies.

• Distancing between people, staff, clients, and customers has become the norm across many industries.

• HR protects the business, not employees.

• Leadership is a responsibility, not a title. A boss is a leader, period.

Why pay transparency matters

• Listing the pay would remove guesswork and save time for everyone.

• I am building support to require salary transparency in Idaho.

• This issue is nonpartisan and affects job seekers across the state.

Don’t mind me keyword stuffing here:job seeking, job search, hiring process, leadership, Idaho jobs, salary transparency, pay disclosure, recruiters, ATS, job boards, ghost jobs, job applications, workplace culture, HR, management, career frustration, job seeker support, toxic hiring practices, leadership development, employee experience, Rash Leadership Development

In this episode of Let’s Get Rash, I’m talking about the chaos of modern workplace communication — the endless pings, dings, and platforms that are killing productivity. I’ve watched teams drown in apps that were supposed to make things easier, and I’ve lived it myself.

If your workday feels like digital whack-a-mole, this one’s for you.

It’s time to stop saluting every notification and start leading like we actually value people’s focus.

Takeaways for Leaders:

✅ Set clear expectations for communication response times.

✅ Stop sending attachments in chats.

✅ Email still works — use it.

✅ Choose tools intentionally — not impulsively.

✅ Recognize that productivity isn’t instant replies; it’s uninterrupted work.

Want a free copy of my book Let’s Get Rash About Leadership? Enter to win here: rashlead.com/book

Don’t forget to like, follow, and subscribe! 👋 I want to hear from you—what did you think?Ever had a horrible boss? Tell me your story—I want to hear it!Send it to getrash@rashlead.com

#LetsGetRash #StopSalutingTheDing #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipRealityCheck #WorkplaceChaos #CommunicationOverload #RashLeadership #WorkSmarterNotBusier #ModernWork #EfficiencyIsntDead #efficiencyisdead

Grab our free tools to help you lead better at rashlead.com/free. Free downloads, actionable checklists, and resources to get your team winning.

Are you stuck playing defense in a game you started? If so, your leadership is costing your team—and your business—big time. In this episode of Let’s Get Rash About Leadership, I go deep on why reactive, attention-driven leadership is killing morale, burning out your best players, and keeping your workplace stuck in survival mode.

I’m calling out leaders who spend more time complaining about their teams than actually leading. Endless emails, chaotic approval processes, fake connection, and constant panic fixes don’t build loyalty or trust—they suffocate your top talent.

We’ll cover:

• Why employees spend more time defending themselves than doing their jobs
  

• How reactionary leadership drives burnout and quiet quitting
  

• The death of camaraderie and real connection in modern workplaces
  

• The mistakes leaders make that make good employees leave
  

• How to step off defense, take control, and start actually winning
  

If your people are stuck logging receipts for every action or defending every decision, this episode is your wake-up call. Stop reacting. Start leading. Take back control of the game.

It’s time to get Rash about your leadership.

Listen now and find out why playing defense won’t win the game.

In this kickoff episode of Let’s Get Rash About Leadership, I break down why work really sucks today — and guess what? It’s not the employees’ fault. Workers are blamed for everything, while leaders scratch their heads, wondering why nothing is working. I call out the chaos, the mismanagement, and the leadership mistakes that make employees dread Monday mornings.

Want to take action instead of just complaining? Grab our free resources designed to help you navigate and fix the workplace mess: rashlead.com/free.

If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at leadership decisions or wanted to just tell someone how it really is at work, this episode is for you.