The Hardest Truth: You Might Be the Problem

Turnaround Business Series — Post 1 of 4

What if the applause you’re getting is hiding the fact that you’re wounding people?

That was me.

I had built an award-winning organization, recognized by the Royals, honored by city leaders, and celebrated as one of Kansas City’s finest. On paper, it looked like success. It looked like leadership worth celebrating. But behind the scenes, I was building something else entirely: a toxic culture.

The truth is, success on paper can still leave people burned out, undervalued, or wounded. I know because I was the leader who caused it. Not intentionally, not maliciously, but the scars were real, and some of them remain to this day.

That’s the hardest truth to face as a leader: you can be the problem and not know it.

Most leadership books start with strategies, principles, or quick fixes. This one begins with a confession.I don’t write as a professor diagnosing from a distance. I write as someone who lived it, who created a culture that rewarded performance but forgot about people, who was humbled, and who learned (through grace and pain) how to turn things around.

This series isn’t about shame or blame. It’s about hope, for every leader who wants to do better before it’s too late. Because good leaders with good intentions can still cause harm when blind spots go unaddressed.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering…

• Am I creating the kind of culture people actually want to be part of?

• Do my people feel valued for who they are, not just what they produce?

• Have I pushed so hard for results that I’ve left scars in the process?

…then this journey is for you.

Over the next few posts, I’ll unpack how I faced these questions—and what helped me change. Here’s what to expect in the coming weeks:

1. The Myth of the Mission-First Leader – how good intentions can quietly create harm.

2. When Winning Costs Too Much – why success often hides dysfunction.

3. Facing the Mirror – learning to see your own toxic patterns.

4. Turning It Around – how to rebuild trust, restore culture, and lead with humility.

Leadership always leaves a mark. The question is whether it leaves scars or strength.

If you’re brave enough to ask that question, you’re already closer to becoming the kind of leader people will thank,

not curse, years from now.

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Download the book, Award-Winning Toxic Leaders here