Photo by William Olivieri (@akaguglielmo) on Upsplash
Written by May Wang, COO & Senior Consultant
Great leaders don’t wait for cracks to turn into collapses. They commit to greatness—not perfection, but the kind of unwavering integrity that refuses to ignore what’s inconvenient.
Greatness is not just about hitting revenue targets or executing strategy flawlessly. It’s about cultivating the discipline to address small misalignments before they become disasters. It’s about refusing to compromise values for short-term ease.
Because when leaders do ignore the cracks, the cost is catastrophic.
The Hidden Cost of Avoidance
Consider the leaders who chose to look away:
- Volkswagen’s Emissions Scandal – Engineers and executives knew about the emissions test manipulation, but instead of addressing it, they justified the short-term gain. The cost? $30 billion in fines and irreparable reputational damage.
- Wells Fargo’s Fake Accounts Crisis – Leadership knew employees were under immense pressure to meet impossible sales quotas, leading to millions of fraudulent accounts being opened. Instead of re-evaluating the system, they ignored the warning signs—until the fallout cost them $3 billion, countless jobs, and customer trust.
- Boeing’s 737 Max Failures – Internal emails revealed serious concerns about aircraft safety. But speaking up meant production delays and financial losses. So, they stayed silent. The cost? Two tragic crashes, hundreds of lives lost, and billions in lawsuits.
Each of these failures didn’t happen overnight. They started as small cracks—ignored when addressing them felt inconvenient.
The Leaders Who Chose a Different Path
Greatness, on the other hand, demands something different. Consider the leaders who refused to look away:
- Alan Mulally at Ford – When Mulally took over as CEO, Ford was on the brink of collapse. Instead of pretending things weren’t as bad as they were, he demanded transparency. His commitment to truth and accountability led to one of the greatest corporate turnarounds in history.
- Satya Nadella at Microsoft – He inherited a culture of internal competition that stifled innovation. Instead of tolerating it, he built a culture of learning and collaboration, transforming Microsoft into an industry leader once again.
- Ed Catmull at Pixar – When he saw fear creeping into Pixar’s culture, he knew it would kill creativity. Instead of ignoring it, he fostered an environment where feedback was expected and failure was seen as part of the process. The result? Decades of groundbreaking storytelling.
The Pull of Greatness
Greatness isn’t about fixing problems when they explode. It’s about creating a culture where small issues are addressed with urgency and care. It’s about choosing:
- Integrity Over Convenience – The best leaders don’t look the other way when something feels “off.” They lean in and ask the hard questions.
- Truth Over Comfort – Instead of smoothing over tensions, they surface them. They know that discomfort now prevents disaster later.
- Action Over Avoidance – They don’t wait until the problem is undeniable. They address it when it’s still manageable.
Greatness Is a Daily Practice
Leaders who build truly exceptional teams and organizations don’t do so by accident. They commit—daily—to a standard of awareness, responsiveness, and accountability. They understand that greatness isn’t a one-time decision; it’s a habit.
So, what’s one small crack in your organization, your team, or yourself that deserves your attention today?
Because ignoring it might be easier—but greatness is always worth the effort.
Contact
If you would like to find out how, as a leader, you can effectively make this happen inside your organization, feel free to contact Mark Kamin & Associates, Inc.
https://mka-world.com/contact/
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