20.04.2026

Thoughts that don't always get said at work: More courage. Not more tools.

Thoughts that don't always get said at work:…

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Hello out there,

If the last few years have shown us anything, it’s this:

We don’t have a shortage of tools, frameworks, or initiatives.
What we’re often missing is courage - and I see this reflected a lot in the work I do.

Courage to pause.
Courage to question what’s no longer working.
Courage to build trust before pushing for that change.
Courage to listen, properly, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Many organisations are being told they’re “behind”, when the foundations were never truly built.

Others are rushing forward, without the psychological safety, clarity, or readiness needed to embed changes sustainably.

This creates pressure... on leaders, teams, and of course, employees - and it quietly creeps up through:

  • disengagement
  • frustration
  • fatigue
  • people doing their best, but feeling unheard - which we see reflected in those 'Employee Engagement Surveys'

       ____________________________________________________________________

#CourageWRKS

Last week, a public sector client shared a realisation that I wanted to share with you too.

They recognised the need to focus more intentionally on third-party engagement - particularly the processes, boundaries and organisational culture required to respond to inappropriate and harmful behaviours towards frontline staff.

The honesty and boldness from the leader admitting this in front of their whole team during an "Inclusion & Respect in the Workplace" session really impressed me. Believe it or not, it's still rare!

This was a senior leader naming an area where greater courage is needed...not reactively, but proactively! Courage to acknowledge risk, to look beyond internal dynamics, and to take responsibility for the environments people work in every day.

Identifying where we, as individuals, teams and organisations, need to be more courageous is often the first and most important step. And I hope we see many more of these moments of clarity this year.

So, as you reflect on this, are there one or two areas in your day-to-day where courage already shows up?

Or where there may be an opportunity to act a little more courageously?

If this topic resonates with you, I invite you to subscribe to my bi-weekly newsletter: https://subscribepage.io/claritywrks-newsletter

A little initiative I wanted to start this year to share more of the real thinking and everyday experiences we don’t talk about enough across workplaces...not just the outcomes.

All just real-life reflections from the employees and leaders I speak to every day.

For now have a fantastic sunny week - wherever you are.

All my best,

Meike Imberg - ClarityWRKS

  • Employee Engagement
  • Leadership & Management
  • Engagement
  • inclusion
  • workplace culture

I help organisations uncover and fix what’s really getting in the way of performance - unclear leadership, trust gaps, misaligned culture, and unaddressed conflict.

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