Are small issues quietly sabotaging your leadership?

What happens when small issues go unnoticed, or subtle signals get ignored? In leadership, “letting it slide” isn’t harmless – it has a cost. Unchecked habits, ignored micro-behaviors, and unaddressed challenges quietly erode trust, alignment, and team performance long before anyone notices.

This month, we’re tackling the blind spots leaders often miss: 

• The silent signals in hybrid work: What cameras-off and silence in Zoom meetings really reveal about engagement—and how to act before disengagement spreads.
• The big problems that feel overwhelming: Why leaders delay tough challenges, and how breaking them into small, consistent actions keeps them from snowballing.
• The overlooked ways leaders burn out: How “always-on” habits—late-night emails, skipped breaks—quietly set unsustainable standards.

Inside, you’ll find practical tools to sharpen your awareness, protect your energy, and strengthen team resilience. Great leadership isn’t about avoiding conflict or brushing off what feels minor. It’s about noticing early, acting decisively, and creating conditions where small problems never have the chance to grow.

Inspire on, Jenn, Shawn, and the Incito Team

Inside Leadership with Shawn Gibson The Silent Signals Leaders Miss in Hybrid Work

If someone walked into a boardroom, sat down, refused to make eye contact, and stayed silent for an entire meeting, you’d notice. You’d probably intervene. At the very least, you’d question whether they felt included, connected, or invested in the team.

So why does it feel acceptable when the same thing happens on Zoom?

In hybrid and remote work, subtle signals like cameras-off meetings or “always-on” work habits often slide by without comment. But those black squares on the screen aren’t neutral; they’re signals. They tell you who feels seen, who feels safe speaking up, and who may already be checking out. Over time, these micro-moments quietly reveal cracks in your culture long before an engagement survey ever does.

Read more for practical tips on how leaders can notice (and act on) the subtle behaviors shaping team culture.

Explore the Insights

Small Steps Prevent Big Problems

Sometimes ignoring big challenges feels easier than tackling them head-on, but the cost of doing nothing adds up fast. Think of an ant dragging a crumb ten times its size. The only way forward is piece by piece. For leaders, the same rule applies: the key is to break problems into smaller, manageable pieces. Trying something for a limited period of time can also help turn what feels like a high-stakes decision into a lower-stakes decision.

Lowering the barrier to action helps leaders take consistent steps, make progress, and avoid letting issues grow unchecked.

Real Talk with Jenn Lofgren

Have you taken a real break yet this year? 

If not, it’s costing you more than just rest. Leaders who stay “always on” send an unspoken message to their teams: this is the pace we expect. That constant grind doesn’t just exhaust you - it can quietly erode trust, getting in the way of strategic thinking and decision making, and impacting long-term team performance.

True leadership isn’t about pushing nonstop. It’s about knowing when to step back, recharge, and model boundaries. When your team sees you protecting your energy, they understand it’s okay to do the same. 

Culture isn’t built in big moments like strategy rollouts or off-sites. It’s built in the everyday choices your team makes: turning cameras on or off, following up to close a loop, addressing disengagement—or quietly letting it slide. Each moment sets a standard: care and accountability, or quiet withdrawal. Start small: block focus time, take a short walk between meetings, or schedule an afternoon offline. These micro-resets send a powerful message: renewal is a priority, not an afterthought.

Sustainable leadership starts with the energy you protect today, and it pays off in stronger decisions, healthier teams, and long-term success.

For more insights from Jenn, check her out on LinkedIn.

Ready to Spot the Small Stuff?

Sometimes the hardest part is noticing the tiny things before they pile up.

Book a free 30-minute consultation with the Incito team to discuss  practical strategies to notice, act, and create lasting habits for high-performing leadership.