Three Terms That Justify More Than They Should

Some leadership language doesn't just get misused — it gets weaponized. These three show up regularly as cover for behavior that deserves more scrutiny than the terms provide.

Culture fit. At its best, a legitimate shorthand for whether someone's values and working style align with those of the team. In practice, more often a way to decline candidates or dismiss employees whose difference is the actual objection — without having to name it. When "culture fit" is doing the work of an unstated preference, it deserves to be challenged, not accepted.

Authentic leadership. The research on authenticity as a leadership competency is considerably more complicated than its advocates suggest. Authenticity without self-awareness is, as I've written elsewhere, just a license to be unexamined. And "I'm just being authentic" has become one of the more reliable signals that someone is about to say something they haven't sufficiently considered — and doesn't want to be held accountable for it.

"Being respected is more important than being liked." There is a kernel of truth in this, used carefully — leaders who prioritize approval over honest feedback do real damage. But the phrase gets invoked far more often to rationalize interpersonal bluntness, indifference to how behavior lands, or outright unkindness than to describe a principled stance on feedback. "Trust" does the job more accurately and without the permission structure the liked/respected framing tends to create.