"When I was not a leadership person, I made a lot of mistakes. I burned out people. I burned out myself. I burned money. I passed the pressure from clients down to the developers." — From the LinkedIn Live session.
I never set out to be a bad leader. But for a long time, that’s exactly what I was. The truth is, I lacked the understanding of what real leadership required. And I paid a heavy price for it—so did my team. When I wasn't a leader, I wasn't just ineffective but harmful. I burned out good people, lost talented developers, wasted money, and, above all, carried the burden of my shortcomings down to others.
The day I realized this was my inciting incident—a stark awakening that made me look in the mirror and recognize that all those issues were my responsibility. It was a harsh truth, but one I had to face if I ever wanted to grow, not just as a founder but as a human being.
From Mistakes to Empowerment: My Journey
"Finger pointing, blameful environments—all the things we talk about as being terrible in leadership? I did those. And that was my responsibility." — From the LinkedIn Live session.
For a long time, I thought my role as a leader meant managing every detail, holding everyone accountable through constant oversight, and solving every problem myself. I believed that the more control I had, the more I could steer us in the right direction. In reality, this was the very thing that broke us.
Micromanaging made me the gatekeeper of progress and the bottleneck of every decision. If things went wrong—and they often did—my response was to point fingers. I had created a blameful environment where no one wanted to take risks because the consequences were always brutal.
It took many failures and a few key moments of complete exhaustion for me to realize that change was essential. Not just for the company, my sanity, and the health of those I worked with. This change started with a painful decision—I had to acknowledge my faults and make myself vulnerable in front of my team.
Leadership, I learned, is not about being infallible. It’s about being transparent. I had to unlearn the idea of authority as control and replace it with the concept of authority as service. I began to empower my team by giving them ownership. Instead of always being the one to make decisions, I asked them what they thought we should do. I stepped back, not as an abdication of responsibility, but as a show of trust.
The result? Slowly, our culture began to shift. The pressure I had long passed down to the developers was replaced with shared accountability—and, crucially, shared pride in what we created. We were no longer fearful of mistakes because we understood mistakes were part of growth, not the end of the road.
Building a Culture of Real Leadership
"You need to make mistakes. You need to experience failure. And if you're not able to talk about failure, you’re hurting yourself and your company." — From the LinkedIn Live session.
I’ve come to believe that real leadership is about creating an environment where people aren’t afraid to fail. It’s about removing the stigma of mistakes and encouraging everyone to see them as part of the journey towards growth. We established a culture where we could say, “I screwed this up,” and instead of facing blame, we faced questions like, “How do we fix it together?”
Transparency was key. I was upfront about the challenges we faced as a company, even when they were uncomfortable. People on my team knew when we were in a tight spot financially. They knew when my own decisions had led to setbacks. This honesty wasn’t just about ethics—it was about survival. Without honesty, trust dies; without trust, there is no leadership.
A shift happened when the team started feeling ownership over the projects. They weren't just doing a job; they were shaping something meaningful. And my role evolved—from being a manager to being a facilitator. I was no longer the one passing pressure down; I was standing beside them, lifting the weight together.
Key Takeaways
Leadership is a journey of constant change. You must be willing to change yourself before you can lead others effectively.
Transparency builds trust. Be upfront about challenges, mistakes, and growth points—no one wants to follow a facade.
Empowerment leads to progress. Stop micromanaging and let your team take ownership; that’s how you unlock real value.
Failure is not the enemy. Learning to fail together is essential for long-term growth.
About the Show and Maria
Maria Glazunova is an innovative Tech English Communication Coach with over 10 years of experience and multiple educational qualifications. She empowers senior tech professionals to create impact, build confidence, and advance their careers through communication skills.
She created an 8-week “Tech English Communication Mastery” program with her exclusive ROCK.IT approach. The program is 100% customized with personalized feedback and plenty of opportunities to practice your communication skills.
You can find a detailed explanation of this approach on her website and her interview with Nick Cosentino from Microsoft:
Here’s Maria’s website with all the info about the program and an opportunity to reach out to her: 👉 https://www.mariaglazunova.com/
Here’s her LinkedIn profile - feel free to DM the word “ROCKIT” if you're interested in making a more significant impact in your tech career. Maria will be happy to chat with you for free to see if you are a good fit for her program: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-glazunova/
Find me on Mentorcruise.com
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