Hey Unfiltered Folks,

Answer: Because you avoid setting standards until it's an emergency. Then you crack down.

That feels like villainy. But the real problem is you let things slide for months. When you finally enforce standards, you look like a tyrant.

This is your fault.

You didn't lead consistently. You led in bursts. That's reactive, not leadership. Consistent enforcement doesn't feel like tyranny. It feels like culture.

Question to Consider: What standard did you let slide until it became a crisis?

Why: Reactive leadership feels like tyranny. Consistent leadership feels like culture.

Here's what's happening: you have standards. You don't enforce them. People cross the line. You let it go. It gets worse. Finally, you snap. You crack down. You enforce hard. Now you're the bad guy. But you created this. If you'd enforced the standard from day one, it wouldn't feel like villainy. It would just be the culture.

The cost? Your team doesn't trust you.

They don't know which version of you they'll get. Permissive or strict? They walk on eggshells. Morale suffers.

Your best people leave because they want consistency. The ones who stay are the ones comfortable with chaos.

You've created an unpredictable culture. All because you didn't enforce standards consistently. You let small things slide until they became big things. Then you overreacted. That's not leadership. That's mood management.

Action: Pick three non-negotiable standards today.

Write them down.
Communicate them to the team.
Then enforce them consistently.
Every time.
No exceptions.

Be the villain on day one, not day 100. Consistent enforcement feels like culture, not tyranny. Your team will respect clear boundaries more than flexible ones that suddenly become rigid.

Stay Unfiltered,
— Andy

P.S. If you avoid setting standards, it will feel like villainy when you crack down.