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Owned by Scott
Personal and professional leadership development focused on decision-making, accountability, and execution.
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44 contributions to Leadership Collective
8d •
Why New Hires Don’t Stay (And What Leaders Miss)
As an advisor, I get asked to give leadership counsel to business leaders at all levels. The first problem I start with isn’t complicated—but it’s expensive. Turnover. Most people think turnover is about: Pay Work conditions The job itself Possibly, but that’s not always the case. Turnover is the outcome. Not the problem. The real issue is what happens in the first few weeks and months. New hires (one year or less) don’t leave because the work is hard. They leave because leadership is inconsistent the moment they walk in. No ownership. No structure. No clarity. So they disengage early—and then they’re gone. Especially if there is something comparable for more money or perks. Here’s the shift: Instead of trying to “fix turnover,” we fix leadership behavior at the point of impact. Two simple things: 1. Daily Leadership Presence Start of shift: What matters today Mid-shift: Adjust and engage End of shift: What carries forward Not complicated. Just consistent. 2. Ownership of New Hires Every new hire belongs to a leader Daily 5-minute check-in Train using: Show → Do → Verify That’s it. No big program. No overhaul. Just leadership showing up the same way, every day. The reality most leaders don’t want to accept: If someone leaves in the first six months to a year, that’s not a hiring problem. That’s a leadership problem. Your move: If you’re responsible for people, answer this: Who owns your newest person right now—and what did you do with them today?
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19d •
You Can’t Control the Environment—But You Can Build a Workforce That Survives It
Leaders spend a lot of time talking about things they can’t control. The economy. Politics. Interest rates. Supply chains. Market conditions. All of it matters. None of it is controllable. Yet most organizations still behave as if stability is the default—and disruption is the exception. It’s not. Disruption is constant. Pressure is constant. Change is constant. The question isn’t whether external conditions will impact your business. The question is whether your leadership system is built to absorb it—or collapse under it. The Real Risk Isn’t the Environment—It’s Fragility Most businesses don’t fail because of one external event. They fail because the system inside the organization can’t handle sustained pressure. When that happens: Decision quality drops Communication breaks down Standards drift Good people disengage or leave And leadership reacts instead of leads. That’s not an economic problem. That’s a leadership problem. Resilience Isn’t a Trait—It’s a System A resilient workforce doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through leadership at every level. That means: Clear standards that don’t change under pressure Defined ownership so decisions don’t stall Consistent communication so people aren’t guessing Leaders who can stay steady when things get uncomfortable Resilience is not about pushing harder. It’s about maintaining clarity, discipline, and control when conditions deteriorate. Most Organizations Don’t Build for This Here’s the reality: Around 20% of businesses fail in the first year, and roughly 50% within five years During major disruptions, failure rates increase significantly—not because businesses didn’t see the risk, but because they weren’t built to handle it Workforce disengagement remains high across industries, which directly impacts productivity, decision-making, and retention These aren’t isolated issues. They’re indicators of weak leadership systems under pressure. Leadership Is the Stabilizer When external pressure increases, people don’t rise to the occasion.
23d •
Leadership Habits Shape More Than We Think
I think it’s important for leaders to be role models and mentors, not just decision-makers. Personal habits and consistency matter more than people realize—they shape culture, trust, and accountability over time. People don’t just follow direction, they follow what’s modeled. At what point do a leader’s personal habits start to impact their effectiveness—and is it something individuals should address directly, or something that should be handled at a higher level? Also, is it possible that in some cases the leadership role itself becomes overwhelming, and that pressure starts to show up in those habits?
0 likes • 23d
I would like to hear what others have to say on this topic because it is more prevalent than you might think. Here is my two cents, I would say you’re on the right track. Personal habits do shape everything—but here’s where I’d push you a little. A few things to think through: - At what point do habits stop being “personal” and start becoming a standard others are expected to follow? - If a leader’s habits are creating drift, who actually owns correcting that—the individual, their peer, or someone above them? - If you see it and say nothing, are you still leading—or just observing? - What would it look like to address that habit without making it personal, but still holding the standard? - If the issue is pressure or overload, is the real problem the habit—or the conditions that are driving it? - Are you prepared to lead someone who is equal to, or outranks you, but is setting the wrong example? And the bigger question: Are you willing to step into the space of leading other leaders—even when it’s uncomfortable?
27d •
When Senior Leadership Finally Asks for Help
At some point, if you’re paying attention and doing the work, this will happen. Senior leadership will come to you and ask: “Give me your honest opinion.” Sounds simple. It’s not. Because what they’re really asking is: “Tell me what’s wrong—without blowing up the system.” This is where most people make a mistake. They either: Hold back and say nothing meaningful Or unload everything with no structure or discipline Neither helps. 1. Don’t Make It Personal The fastest way to lose credibility is to turn it into a list of people problems. Most leadership issues aren’t about individuals. They’re about unclear expectations, weak standards, and inconsistent enforcement. Focus on: Where decisions break down Where roles are unclear Where standards are not defined or not enforced If you make it about people, it becomes defensive. If you make it about systems, it becomes fixable. 2. Be Honest—but Controlled They asked for your opinion. Give it. But don’t rant. Don’t vent. Don’t speculate. Be clear and specific: “This is where communication breaks down.” “This is where ownership is unclear.” “This is where standards are not being held.” Say it plainly. Then stop talking. Confidence doesn’t come from saying more. It comes from saying what matters. 3. Tie Everything to Impact If you want to be taken seriously, connect leadership gaps to outcomes. Turnover Rework Missed deadlines Frustration between teams Leadership problems are rarely just leadership problems. They are operational problems—and operational problems eventually become financial problems. Make that connection clear. 4. Offer Direction, Not Just Diagnosis Don’t just point out what’s broken. Give them a starting point: Clarify roles and ownership Establish clear standards Improve information flow Hold consistent follow-through You don’t need a full plan. You need a clear first step. 5. Understand What You Just Stepped Into The moment you speak honestly, things change. You’re no longer just “one of the team.”
2 likes • 25d
@Justyn Price I would say "Roger that" and carry out smartly. The following is an excerpt from one of the Marine Corps foundational doctrinal publications. "Relations among all leaders—from corporal to general—should be based on honesty and frankness regardless of disparity between grades. Until a commander has reached and stated a decision, subordinates should consider it their duty to provide honest, professional opinions even though these maybe in disagreement with the senior's opinions. However, once the decision has been reached, juniors then must support it as if it were their own. Seniors must encourage candor among subordinates and must not hide behind their grade insignia. Ready compliance for the purpose of personal advancement—the behavior of "yes-men"-—-will not be tolerated. If we use that as our compass, provide higher our honest assessment of the situation, and recommended course of action, we have done what we can do. It is the requirement of a leader at any level to be consistent and professional. Whether you have delegated authority from higher or not doesn't preclude you from this. Leaders at high levels are always watching, observing those around them and below them. Who would you rather get information from or ask for guidance, someone who isn't consistent in their judgment and behavior, and reacts erratically to changing situations. Or, someone who is always even keel, centered, finding or creating options to correct problems, trying to see the big picture and push the team towards the goal, not getting bogged down in the minutiae. I am not saying it is easy to deal with higher when they don't see or chose to ignore the leadership gaps. It can be maddening at times, believe me I know. But as professionals it is our responsibility to lead at the utmost of our ability. When higher sees this, it can have a powerful impact on their decision making process. Potentially guiding them to change their behavior. And isn't that what we are striving for, behavioral change for the better both personally and professionally?
30d •
Silence Is Killing Your Growth
Most people don’t fail because they lack information. They fail because they avoid exposure. Let’s get honest for a second. You say you want to grow. You say you want to lead. You say you want more out of your life. But you stay quiet. You read posts. You watch videos. You “think about it.” And then you disappear. No input. No questions. No pressure on yourself to be seen. That’s not learning. That’s hiding. Here’s the truth most people won’t tell you: If you’re not willing to be seen, you’re not willing to grow. Because growth requires exposure. It requires you to say something that might be wrong. It requires you to take a position. It requires you to risk being challenged. That’s where development happens. Not in silence. In the Marine Corps, silence didn’t exist when something mattered. If you had input—you spoke. If you saw a problem—you called it out. If you stayed quiet—you were part of the failure. Civilian life lets you hide. And it’s killing your progress. So we’re changing that starting now. No more passive scrolling in this community. If you’re here, you’re here to engage. Your move: Drop ONE thing in the comments: A leadership problem you’re dealing with right now or A situation where you know you should’ve spoken up—but didn’t No overthinking. No polishing it up. Just put it out there. Because how you do anything is how you do everything. And right now, some of you are practicing silence. That ends here.
0 likes • 29d
Sometimes the best teachers are bad leaders and bad positions. It helps you to gain more clarity and insight into what "I'm not gonna do." I'm glad you took the risk and it paid off.
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@scott-legg-9882
Leadership development with a former U.S. Marine senior leader. Decision-making, accountability, execution.
Active 1d ago
Joined Jan 1, 2026
Billings MT