If you’re lying awake at 2 AM wondering “Is it me, or is this place actually broken?” — here’s how to find out.

The question that haunts people-first leaders: Am I failing, or is the system designed to make ethical leadership impossible?

Here’s the truth: Systems issues have patterns. Personal issues have solutions.

If you’ve been blaming yourself for problems that keep recurring no matter what you try, it’s time to run the diagnostic.

THE FRAMEWORK

Look, I’ve been where you are. Lying awake replaying conversations, wondering if I just wasn’t smart enough, strategic enough, persuasive enough to make change happen.

But since stepping back from my role as a registration manager, I can see the patterns I couldn’t see when I was in the middle of it. And what I’ve learned is this: there are clear indicators that distinguish between “you need to work on your approach” and “you’re fighting a rigged game.”

Here’s how to know the difference:

🚩 RED FLAGS THAT SCREAM “SYSTEM ISSUE”

🚩Red Flag #1: Difficult Conversations Don’t Actually Happen

Your senior leaders say:

• “Let’s take this offline”
• “We’ll deal with this later”
• “That’s an executive-level decision”

What this means: Decision-making is happening in back channels, not in the open. There’s no transparency. The people who should be involved aren’t.

Why this matters: If conversations are always being deferred or hidden, YOU can’t fix that by being a better communicator. The system itself is designed to avoid accountability.

The personal blame trap: You think “I’m not being persuasive enough” or “I’m not saying it right.” But the real issue? The organisation isn’t willing to have the conversation.

🚩 Red Flag #2: Problems Are Dismissed, Not Solved

You bring up a proactive solution? It gets dismissed or ignored.

Your organisation operates in reactive mode:

• They respond to crises instead of preventing them
• They patch problems instead of addressing root causes
• Preventative thinking is seen as unnecessary, slow, or “overthinking it”

Why this matters: If your org is structurally set up to react, not prevent, then your perfect proactive solution will get ignored. It’s not because your idea isn’t good. It’s because the system isn’t designed to value prevention.

The personal blame trap: You think “my idea wasn’t compelling enough” or “I didn’t explain the value clearly.” But the real issue? The organization doesn’t have the capacity or willingness to think ahead.

🚩 Red Flag #3: Authority on Paper ≠ Authority in Practice

Your job description says you have decision-making authority. In reality, you need seventeen approvals for basic choices.

The org chart shows clear reporting lines. The actual decision-making happens in informal networks you’re not part of.

What this means: The formal structure is window dressing. The real power lives elsewhere.

Why this matters: You can’t overcome structural powerlessness with better leadership skills. If the system is designed to keep you powerless, working harder won’t change that.

🚩 Red Flag #4: Inconsistent Treatment Creates Confusion

One manager gets to make autonomous decisions. Another manager (with identical role) needs approval for everything.

Some people’s mistakes become learning opportunities. Others become scapegoats.

Information flows freely to some people, while others are kept in the dark.

What this indicates: The system operates on hidden rules, personal favour, and arbitrary power — not on clear, equitable structures.

🚩 Red Flag #5: Values Are Performative, Not Operational

The organisation has beautiful values statements that were created by executives and dictated to staff.

Those values don’t show up in actual decision-making, resource allocation, or crisis response.

When you point out the disconnect, you’re told you’re “not being a team player.”

The reality check: Values that aren’t embedded in systems are just marketing copy.

BUT WHAT IF IT ACTUALLY IS YOUR APPROACH?

Here’s how to tell if you should look at your own approach instead of blaming the system:

Trust your body. When you get feedback about your approach, how does it land?

• If feedback feels true and constructive in your gut, it’s probably worth examining your approach
• If feedback feels wrong, manipulative, or gaslighting, it’s probably a systems issue

Look for patterns in the feedback:

• “You could be more collaborative” could might be valid approach feedback
• “You’re being too negative” (when raising legitimate safety concerns) is probably systems dysfunction

Ask yourself honestly:

• Have I tried multiple different approaches to the same problem?
• Do I keep getting the same result regardless of how I adjust my approach?
• Do other competent people struggle with the same issues in this system?

If yes to all three → it’s not you, it’s the system.

CLEAR INDICATORS OF INSTITUTIONAL PROBLEMS

• Lack of Transparency: Decisions are made behind closed doors with no explanation of the why

• Hoarded Power: Senior leaders refuse to delegate real authority or listen to subject matter experts

• “We Know Best” Culture: Leadership makes decisions about frontline work without consulting the people actually doing that work

• Recurring Problems: The same issues keep happening regardless of who’s in the role or what approaches are tried

THE MOMENT I KNEW

For me, the clearest moment came when I realized I’d spent months crafting perfect arguments for decisions that had already been made in rooms I wasn’t in.

I was blaming myself for not being persuasive enough, when the truth was: persuasion was never the point. The system wasn’t designed to be influenced by evidence, ethics, or expertise.

That’s when I knew I wasn’t the problem. The system was.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU

If you’ve been reading this with growing recognition — if you’re seeing your organisation in these red flags — this is your permission slip to stop taking personal responsibility for systems-level dysfunction.

You are not failing because you can’t single-handedly fix institutional problems.

You are not inadequate because broken systems resist your solutions.

You are not the problem. You never were.

But here’s what you might be: exactly the kind of leader who could be part of the solution — if you can stop blaming yourself long enough to see what needs to be rebuilt.

The question isn’t “What’s wrong with me?” The question is “What’s broken here, and what am I going to do about it?”

Ready to Stop Carrying What Was Never Yours to Carry?

If you’ve just realized you’re dealing with systems dysfunction (not personal failure), you’re probably wondering: “Okay, now what?”

You have two paths forward, and the right choice depends on what you need most urgently:

If your immediate thought is “I need to understand what I’m actually up against”:
You need crisis-level diagnostic work. What’s broken, why it’s broken, and what your realistic options are.

Learn more about the Systems Crisis Assessment or book your assessment now.

If your immediate thought is “I need to understand how to navigate this without losing myself”:
You need to optimize your own leadership approach first. Understanding your natural wiring helps you stay strong while dealing with broken systems.

Learn more about the Elemental Leadership Recalibration or book your recalibration now.

Both paths lead to the same destination: You reclaim your power and stop absorbing dysfunction that was never yours to fix.

The difference is whether you want to start by mapping the external chaos or strengthening your internal clarity.