When Doubt Creeps In

A CEO Toolkit for Staying Human-Centered

If you’re fully invested in building a more human-oriented workplace, you’ll need language that keeps you grounded when others push back. Don’t be surprised if resistance shows up, externally or even inside your own mind. It’s totally normal, and it doesn’t mean you’re wrong. It means you’re leading.

You might hear these common refrains from board members, peers, or your own internal monologue: “This sounds soft,” “We tried that,” “People should just be grateful to have a job.”

This is your toolkit for when the doubts come knocking. Use it to stay grounded in your vision and speak to power (your own and others’) with clarity and courage.

“This approach is too idealistic. Business is brutal.”

What it means: “Feelings are a luxury, and they pull focus from the real job. We’re here to deliver returns.”

Another view: Research shows that real, human-centered workplaces are more profitable. Unilever’s shareholder returns increased nearly 300%, all while earning top marks for sustainability and workplace culture. Microsoft had an incredible decade when it embraced more human-centered practices.

Your anchor quote: “Rocks in my path? I keep them all. With them I shall build my castle.” Nemo Nox (often shared anonymously)

“We’re already a people-first company. We do enough for our employees.”

What it means: We put time into our policies and perks already. If employees ask for more, they’re asking for more than we can do.

What’s also true: You may care immensely about your employees. And thank god. But the question is: can your employees feel it? Caring isn’t enough if your policies, norms, or communications undermine that care. When needs go unmet, even unintentionally, you leave talent, trust, and performance on the table.

Your anchor quote: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” Maya Angelou

“Your investors will never support more investment or time in human capital/culture building.”

What it means: “Your board will threaten your job.”

What’s also true: You didn’t get to this seat by accident. You know how to read a room. Build influence. Shape outcomes. Your legacy can be about what kind of company you built and the impact you want to have beyond the bottom line. And if culture matters to you, there are ways to bring your board along.

Your anchor quote: “There is no passion to be found in playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” Nelson Mandela

Your clap-back: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” Chinese proverb

“Servant, people-first, leadership sounds soft.”

What it means: “If you emphasize healthy cultures, you’ll seem weak.”

What’s also true: In what world is standing by your principles weak? Hoarding power, withholding resources, and leading from fear is the real vulnerability—because it erodes trust and creates instability. Leading with purpose, clarity, and care is strength. It’s what endures.

If you’re worried about perception, surround yourself with other values-based leaders. Get a mentor who’s walked this road. Build your bench.

Your anchor quote: “You either walk inside your story and own it, or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” Brene Brown

“We tried this stuff. It didn’t move the needle.”

What it means: “Culture stuff is fluffy and didn’t improve margins.”

What’s also true: Bad execution doesn’t mean bad strategy. Culture can’t be hacked, outsourced, or handed off. If it was rushed, underfunded, or treated as an HR experiment, it was never going to land. Real culture work is systemic, sustained, and sponsored by leadership at the top.

Your anchor quote: "Culture isn't part of the game—it is the game." Lou Gerstner, former CEO of IBM.

Just remember that where you stand matters. You won’t win everyone over. You’re not supposed to.

But you do need to decide what kind of leader you want to be, what kind of impact you want to have, and what kind of organization you want to leave behind (when you move on to your next gig.) Your clarity about how it all works together is the best thing you can give to yourself (when you waver) and to others when they push on you.

Keep this toolkit close. You’ll need it … not because you’re doing it wrong, but because you’re finally doing it differently.

*****

Why Human Beings / Human Doings?
I use terms like “workplace for human beings,” “human being-orientation,” and “human doing vs. human being” interchangeably to describe human-centered, people-first workplaces (as opposed to transactional ones that often contribute to burnout and disconnection.)

Organizations with human-centered cultures and internal communications are more productive and resilient. Why it matters.

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