There’s a simple truth in leadership that is often overlooked: you are not a leader until you have produced another leader who can, in turn, produce another leader.

It’s easy to mistake leadership for titles, authority, or even influence. You can hold a corner office, lead a project, or inspire a crowd—but if your leadership ends with you, its impact is temporary. True leadership is measured not by the number of followers you have, but by the number of leaders you raise up.

Leadership Is Not About You

The greatest leaders understand that their role is not to build their own spotlight but to create space for others to shine. They don’t hoard opportunities; they open doors. They don’t control the conversation; they give others a voice. They don’t create dependence; they cultivate independence.

Producing Another Leader

This is the first big step. Helping someone grow in confidence, skill, and vision until they are able to lead others on their own. It requires patience, mentoring, and sometimes letting people stumble so they can learn to stand taller. Producing leaders demands humility—because it means your success is no longer measured by your achievements, but by theirs.

Producing Leaders Who Multiply

But the true test comes next: can that leader you developed go on to reproduce the cycle? Leadership that multiplies doesn’t just raise up one generation; it builds a legacy. It creates a chain reaction where the culture of leadership outlives the original leader. That’s when leadership turns into legacy.

The Ripple Effect

Think of it like ripples in water. A leader creates one wave. A leader who produces another leader creates a second ripple. But a leader who produces leaders who can themselves raise more leaders starts a ripple effect that extends far beyond what one person could ever reach. That’s impact.

The Challenge for Us

Ask yourself:

Who am I investing in right now? Who is learning to lead because of me? Will my leadership stop with me, or multiply through others?

Because at the end of the day, leadership isn’t about being followed—it’s about being reproduced.

You are not truly a leader until you have built a leader who can build another. That’s how legacies are born!

Teams don’t quit jobs—

They quit managers who:

Fall into traps no one warned them about.

New managers, you will face these 7 traps:

🔻 Taking credit for the team’s work

🔻 Not setting clear expectations

🔻 Avoiding tough conversations

🔻 Making decisions too slowly

🔻 Failing to delegate

🔻 Ignoring feedback

🔻 Micromanaging

Each one leads to:

🔺 Stalled growth

🔺 Missed goals

🔺 Low morale

🔺 Burnout

🔺 Broken trust

🔺 High turnover

🔺 Team confusion

The solution?

✅ Share the load

✅ Trust your team

✅ Listen and learn

✅ Give credit generously

✅ Decide with confidence

✅ Be radically clear from day one

✅ Speak with clarity and empathy

Most mistakes aren’t fatal—refusing to learn is.

Your team doesn’t need perfect.

They need honest, steady, and real.

How to deal with stress at work?

Today, Harris asks:

—

“How can I stop stressing about everything that’s happening at work?”

—


Welcome to Episode 180 of AskMatty!

Here’s my answer, Harris:


—

Ready with pen and paper?

Let’s dive in!




1. So, grab pen and paper.

Draw a line down the middle to create two columns.

On the left, write:

→ What I can control

On the the right, write:

→ What I can’t control

I’m not joking — Do it! :)




2. Now take a few minutes to think about your work life.

Under “What I can control”, jot down things like:

→ How I respond to feedback

→ My attitude toward my tasks

→ The effort I put into my projects

→ How I manage my energy and time

Then, under “What I can’t control”, write things like:

→ Office politics

→ Other people’s attitudes

→ Unexpected changes in plans

→ What my boss thinks of my work

We can’t control all of that, right?




3. Now, look at your lists.

Focus on the items in the “What I can control” column.

Choose one or two that you can take action on this week.

For example, let’s say you wrote down:

→ How I respond to feedback

Now, instead of getting defensive when you get feedback, you could:

→ Take a deep breath and consider their perspective

→ Say “Thanks for your input! I’ll think about how I can improve.”

Got it?



Now your question is:

→ Um, Matty, why should this exercise work?

Because it helps you shift your focus from:

→ what’s stressing you out

to

→ what you can actively change

When we focus on what we can change, we immediately feel better.

Why?

Because we can see our improvement.

And when we see our improvement, we start feeling fulfilled.

And there is no “bad stress” with fulfillment :)

Want to be everyone’s favorite teammate?

It’s simple. (But not easy):

Just do the obvious things right.

Here are 12 small habits that make a huge difference:

1/ You respond quickly

↳ Set a “24-hour response” rule for all messages

2/ You write clearly

↳ Start every long email with a one-line summary

3/ You keep your promises

↳ Create a “promises tracker” in your notes and review it daily

4/ You admit mistakes

↳ Practice saying “I made a mistake, here’s how I’m fixing it”

5/ You show up prepared

↳ Review the agenda and prepare 2 talking points before every meeting

6/ You finish what you start

↳ Break every project into visible milestones and track progress

7/ You warn about problems early

↳ Send a “heads up” email the moment you spot potential issues

8/ You remember what others tell you

↳ Keep a dedicated “people notes” section in your work journal

9/ You share useful information

↳ Share one useful resource weekly with a relevant teammate

10/ You stay calm under pressure

↳ Practice the 3-breath rule before responding to tense situations

11/ You give clear updates

↳ Send progress updates before being asked

12/ You make time for others

↳ Block 30-minutes of weekly “open office” time for teammates

Small habits, practiced daily, create exceptional careers.

Fighter pilots use this to stay alive.

Leaders use it to stay ahead ⬇️

Fast decisions don’t have to be reckless.
They just need structure.

Enter: the OODA Loop

It’s a 4-step framework used by fighter pilots…and smart leaders!

Here’s how it works:

Observe
↳ Gather key info. Scan for patterns. Spot what others miss.

Orient
↳ Assess your position. Filter through experience, context, and external factors.

Decide
↳ Pick the best course of action based on what you’ve seen and learned.

Act
↳ Move quickly. Adapt as new feedback comes in. Go again.

To use it well:

Stay agile – adjust decisions as things change.
Avoid analysis paralysis – act before it’s too late.
Monitor feedback – cycle through the loop again.
Use it in fast-paced situations – leadership, crisis, strategy.
Encourage teams to think this way too – so you move as one.

🧠 Remember; the best decisions don’t come from pressure.
They come from clear thinking – and a reliable loop.

Great leaders don’t make excuses.

They make things happen.

They don’t look for someone to blame.

They look for solutions and stay accountable.

As Bruce Gordon said:

Things either happen to you or

they happen because of you.

So, where do you stand?

Accountable leaders climb the ladder:

1️⃣ Make it happen: “I’ve got this, and I’ll follow through.”

2️⃣ Own it: “This is my responsibility, and I’ll take action.”

3️⃣ Find solutions: “There’s still time, I’ll make it happen.”

4️⃣ Acknowledge reality: “I missed this, now I’ll fix it.”

Others stay stuck in victim mode:

1️⃣ Wait and hope: “I’ll just wait and see what happens.”

2️⃣ Make excuses: “I didn’t have enough time.”

3️⃣ Blame others: “It wasn’t my fault.”

4️⃣ Deny responsibility: “I didn’t even know.”

The good news? Anyone can climb the ladder.

Here’s how:

✅ Set the example: Lead and they’ll follow.

✅ Own your choices: Good or bad, they’re yours.

✅ Solve, don’t blame: Focus on fixing, not faulting.

✅ Discuss mistakes: Own them, make them lessons.

Remember: 

Accountability is a choice.

Every step up builds trust.

Each rung conquered grows respect.

Keep climbing. 

The view from the top is worth it.

Your leadership style affects people more than you think.

The harsh truth…

Your style can make someone quit a dream job.

Or help them discover their true potential.

Only 1 in 5 leaders consistently shows authenticity.

Most leaders focus on what they do.

Few pay attention to how they show up.

Real leadership isn’t about:

🚫 Never showing weakness

🚫 Always being in control

🚫 Having all the answers

It’s about being authentic.

That means:

✅ Owning what you don’t know

✅ Leading with empathy, not your ego

✅ Building trust through consistent actions

I’ve seen toxic leaders with perfect numbers

destroy entire teams in months.

And I’ve seen authentic leaders transform

struggling teams into unstoppable forces.

The difference?

Authentic leaders:

➟ Build people up instead of tearing them down

➟ Listen to understand, not just to respond

➟ Focus on growth, not just results

And this is key:

Your team remembers how you make them feel

long after they forget what you say.

Leadership isn’t about power.

It’s about impact.

So ask yourself:

Are you the kind of leader you’d want to follow?

Because your leadership style isn’t just building a team.

It’s shaping futures.

I really don’t want to hear THIS from my employees.

[and no, it’s not because I don’t care]

Here are 15 things a true leader won’t control or monitor:

1/ How many hours you worked.

2/ Whether you arrived late to work.

3/ If you take a day off during the week.

4/ If you have a midday doctor’s appointment.

5/ The number of breaks you take.

6/ How you handle minor mistakes.

7/ Whether you’re in the office or working remotely.

8/ Your choice of work tools and technology.

9/ The way you manage your time.

10/ Your absence due to personal emergencies.

11/ Who you talk to and how often at work.

12/ Why you’re unavailable during off-hours.

13/ Your personal dress code.

14/ How you organize your workspace.

15/ If you have a side hustle.

As long as you’re getting the work done you’ve been trusted to do,
NONE of this should concern your leader.

The truth is:

If a leader doesn’t trust the employees they hired,
it means they don’t trust their own decisions and judgment.