More than a few years ago, I worked with a business owner who was convinced his company had a great culture. He believed his employees trusted him, that they felt valued, and that if there were any problems, people would speak up.

He wasn’t being arrogant—he genuinely thought he’d built a strong, open environment. But when we ran an anonymous engagement survey, the results told a different story.

People felt disconnected, unheard, and overworked. Some had already started looking for jobs elsewhere.

I sat down with him to talk through the results. His first reaction was disbelief. His second was frustration. “I had no idea,” he said.

And that’s the point. Most leaders don’t.

Businesses don’t struggle because leaders don’t care. They struggle because leaders think things are better than they really are. They assume their team will tell them if something’s wrong. They believe they’re delegating when they’re actually micromanaging. They tell themselves it’s just a rough patch, when in reality, they’re heading straight for disaster.

I’ve worked for and with leaders across many industries, and I see the same patterns again and again. Here are five of the most common lies leaders tell themselves—and how to break out of them before they do real damage.

1. "My team knows they can be honest with me."

It’s easy to assume that if you’ve got an open-door policy, people will use it. But the reality is, most employees won’t challenge their boss unless they feel completely safe doing so.

I once worked with a CEO who was certain her team felt comfortable speaking up. Yet in private, her employees admitted they were scared of being seen as difficult if they raised concerns. They weren’t lying to her—they were protecting themselves.

Research backs this up. A 2023 report from the Institute of Leadership & Management found that more than 50 percent of UK employees don’t feel safe speaking up at work. That’s not because they’re being silenced, but because they’ve seen what happens when people do.

If you haven’t had difficult feedback in a while, don’t assume it’s because everything is fine. It might be because people don’t think it’s worth the risk.

2. "I’m delegating—I just have high standards."

There’s a difference between setting high expectations and refusing to let go of control.

I worked with a global director for a very large company who insisted she had delegated effectively. But her team told a different story. Every project went through her for final sign-off. She would ask for small “tweaks” on almost everything. If something didn’t meet her exact standards, she would step in and redo it herself.

This wasn’t delegation. It was micromanagement with a different name.

UK productivity has stagnated for over a decade, and one of the biggest culprits is poor leadership. Leaders who fail to fully delegate don’t just slow down their teams—they actively limit the growth of their business.

If you’re still the final checkpoint for everything, ask yourself why. Is it really about quality, or is it about control?

3. "Our culture is strong—we don’t need to worry about it."

Culture isn’t about what you say—it’s about what your employees experience, I know this from personal experience.

I’ve worked with companies where the leadership team described their culture as “positive” and “people-first,” yet employees told me they felt undervalued and disconnected. Culture isn’t what’s written in a company handbook, or on the walls. It’s how people feel on a daily basis.

A 2023 Glassdoor study found that 60 percent of UK employees have left a job because of a poor workplace culture. If you’re not actively checking in with your team, measuring engagement, and making adjustments, you’re not maintaining culture—you’re just hoping for the best.

4. "I’d notice if my team was struggling."

This is one I’ve learned the hard way. Years ago, a high-performing employee on my team resigned unexpectedly. I thought everything was fine. They seemed engaged, they were delivering great work, and they never raised any concerns.

What I didn’t see was the burnout, the frustration, and the exhaustion that had been building up behind the scenes. And I’m not alone—according to a 2024 report from Mind, 50 percent of UK employees wouldn’t tell their boss if they were struggling with their mental health.

Burnout can be invisible until it isn’t. If you think you’d notice the signs, remember that the people most at risk of burnout are also the ones least likely to admit it.

5. "It’s just a rough patch—things will turn around."

Businesses rarely fail overnight. They fail because leaders ignore the warning signs.

Insolvency rates in the UK hit a 30-year high in 2023, and in most cases, the writing was on the wall long before businesses collapsed. Yet time and time again, I see leaders who assume they can push through tough times without making significant changes.

I get it—when you’ve built something from the ground up, it’s hard to admit when it’s not working. But wishful thinking isn’t a strategy. If you’re telling yourself things will improve on their own, stop. Look at the numbers. Listen to your team. Get an outside perspective before it’s too late.

What to Do Next

If any of this sounds uncomfortably familiar, you’re not alone. Every leader I know—myself included—has fallen into some (all)

of these traps at one point or another. The good news is, recognising the problem is the first step to fixing it.

Here are three questions to start with:

• When was the last time someone in my business told me something I didn’t want to hear?

• How often do I get uncomfortable feedback from my team?

• Am I open to change, or am I just hoping things will improve on their own?

  
  

If you’re struggling to answer any of these, it might be time to bring in an outside perspective. Book a free consultation with wavemind, and let’s take an honest look at what’s really holding your business back.