The Opposite of Tolerance Is Not Intolerance
When I start working with new clients – usually CEOs or business owners – the first few sessions are all about fixing what seems to be wrong with the business.
History tells us: technology never changes anything on its own. Leaders do.
The usual culprits show up fast:
- Not enough cash to invest
- Working harder than ever, but seeing little return
- Customers not responding as expected
Those issues are real — and they can hurt. But most often these are very hard to achieve without some deeper and more fundamental shift. That’s because they’re rarely the root cause.
Before long, the conversation shifts to people.
Certain team members aren’t performing. Others aren’t accountable. Some just don’t seem to care as much as the leader does.
That’s when the first and usually most important “ah-ha” moment occurs.
Because what I help new clients understand and accept is that they’ve been too tolerant — not just of poor performance, but of their leadership team’s tolerance of poor performance.
And here’s the paradox:
They’re frustrated that others aren’t doing their jobs…only to realize they’re not doing theirs either.
Tolerating tolerance is still tolerance — and it’s a leadership failure.
True transformation begins when leaders see that the opposite of tolerance isn’t intolerance — it’s accountable leadership.
Accountable leadership means caring enough to hold yourself — and everyone around you — to the standards that drive excellence.
The opposite of tolerance isn’t intolerance, anger or retribution.
It’s discipline.
It’s honesty.
It’s leadership.
What are you tolerating right now that’s holding your business back?
- #AccountableLeadership
- #LeadershipCulture
- #PerformanceManagement
- #OrganizationalBehavior
- #TeamAccountability
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