Leaders either design systems or clean up after them. There’s no in-between. You can’t just coast, because if you’re not shaping the system, the system is shaping you.
I learned this the hard way as a teacher. At first, I thought telling my students, “Alright, pack up, let’s go,” was enough. Simple, right? Wrong. The second I said it, chairs scraped, voices shot up, kids rushed the door, some dug through backpacks, others started playing instead of packing. It was chaos.
And the truth is, that chaos was on me. The system I created was basically no system at all. I hadn’t thought it through.
So I stopped and asked myself: what did I actually want to happen? I literally sat in one of their seats and walked through it step by step. What’s the first thing they need to do? Then the next? That’s how I built my criteria for success.
I chunked it down:
Stay seated.
Level zero voice.
Put binders in the middle of the table.
Table captain collects them and drops them in the bin.
Everyone else stays seated until I say “go.”
Once I gave them that system, the chaos shrank. The outcome was the same—students packed up—but now it was orderly, clear, and consistent.
When I moved into the corporate space, I had a culture shock moment. I’d join meetings where people just hopped on with no agenda, no structure, no clear expectations. You could see it in their eyes—like that old DVD screensaver bouncing around the screen. Everyone was disengaged, waiting for the time to run out.
But here’s the thing: that was the system. The system was: show up, zone out, leave with nothing. There weren’t agreements about staying engaged, respecting input, or actually bringing ideas to the table. And people followed the system that existed.
So when it was my turn to lead, I knew I had to create something different. A few days before, I’d send out the agenda and ask people to add their input. That way we walked in already set up for success. I’d start with a quick icebreaker or team connection, then set the expectation: “In a moment, you’ll each be sharing…” Suddenly, the system shifted. People were prepared, engaged, and the meeting produced real results.
The big takeaway is this: if it exists, it has a system.
Leaders, stop blaming people first. Check the system. Is the system clear enough to operate without you? Could it still hold if you weren’t in the room?
Back in my classroom, my system was so strong that substitutes would tell me, “Your kids knew exactly what to do.” Why? Because the system held. It wasn’t dependent on me being there.
The same is true in the workplace. Your system shouldn’t need micromanaging, but it should be strong enough to outlast you and even your tenure. That’s the mark of leadership that lasts.
