🧩The Childhood Game That Could Be Holding Back Your Leadership🧩
When I was a little girl and had to go to the dentist, my mother would sit with me in the lobby while I waited nervously for my name to be called. To distract me, she’d hand me a magazine – the kind full of puzzles and games for kids.
One of my favorites was a visual game that showed four pictures. Three of the images were similar, and one was different. The goal?
“Which one of these things is not like the others?”
And when I got it right, I was praised.
👏 I was rewarded for spotting what didn’t belong.
💡 I was trained to pick out what was wrong.
Fast forward to adulthood, and many leaders take this same mindset into the workplace.
We become *exceptional* at seeing what isn’t going well.
As a leader … 👉 Do you focus more on what’s going wrong… or on what’s going right?
When you make a habit of actively noticing what your team is doing well – and acknowledging it – you reinforce the behaviors you want to see more of.
But when your default is to find flaws – to zero in on the “one thing that doesn’t fit” – you can unintentionally create an environment of defensiveness, distrust, and frustration. A culture of criticism over collaboration.
It’s time to unlearn that childhood game and remember that not every “wrong” thing needs to be called out.
The best leaders don’t just correct what’s wrong — they amplify what’s right.
📣What’s one positive behavior you could amplify in your team today?
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