The Hard Truth Nobody Told You: This Wasn’t Your Failure...

Sometimes, systems let people down before people ever let the work down.

Author

Glenda Carnate
January 10, 2026

Read time: 2.5 minutes

Work tends to fall apart more quickly when direction keeps changing than when effort drops off.

You came prepared, asked questions, and kept adapting as priorities shifted. Every time you thought things were settled, they changed again. Deadlines moved, success became unclear, and accountability got lost in meetings. The gap between your effort and the results grew... not because you did less, but because the goal kept moving.

Leaving that kind of environment doesn’t mean you failed. It means you outgrew leaders who couldn’t keep things clear long enough for anyone to succeed. Progress needs consistency. Without it, even the best people get stuck.

Here are signs the real issue was leadership, not your performance:

  1. Success keeps changing. Clear goals shouldn’t need to be redefined all the time.

  2. No one really owns decisions. When that happens, things slow down.

  3. Work keeps starting over. Most of the time, that means the direction isn’t clear, not that people lack skills.

  4. Answers stay vague. When responses aren’t clear, it usually means priorities aren’t set.

  5. You put in more effort, but results don’t improve. When things aren’t lined up, it drains your energy and you don’t move forward.

💡Key Takeaway: 

You didn’t fail. You outgrew leaders who couldn’t make decisions, commit, or stay consistent. Sometimes, growing means you move beyond the structure around you. When direction falls apart, leaving is about clarity... not giving up.

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