7 Unfair Advantages of High-Impact Leaders
Why some managers feel like they're playing a different game
Ever worked with a manager who seems to always win, that too, effortlessly?
Their projects ship faster.
Their teams are happier.
And somehow, they always have time to spare.
And you wondered if they’re just lucky, gifted, or if there's some magic going around?
The reality is that it’s none of those.
These managers operate with leverage. They do things differently, and they’ve unlocked a set of unfair advantages that amplify their value.
In this article, we will discuss the seven unfair advantages of high-impact leaders you can learn, practice, and use to level up.
Ready? Let’s go!
1. They Invest in the Future
Most managers get trapped in today’s metrics. High-impact leaders also bet on tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
They carve out time, energy, and resources for experiments, even if they seem small or risky.
Why? Because they know the real danger isn’t failing. It’s becoming irrelevant.
They:
Encourage side projects and skunkworks
Sponsor hackathons and sandbox ideas
Protect long shots, even when no one else sees the value
They make it safe, and even expected, to tinker, try, and occasionally fail. That’s the culture in their teams.
Because they know and live by this rule: Today’s experiments are tomorrow’s unfair advantages.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
🛠️ The Innovator’s Dilemma: How to Turn Risk Into Your Competitive Advantage
2. They Say the Hard Thing Without Breaking the Trust
Most leaders either:
Say nothing (to avoid conflict), or
Say it harshly (and damage relationships)
High-impact leaders do something radically different.
They say the hard thing, but they say it with care.
They deliver tough feedback that lands and helps.
They practice Radical Candor, a leadership style where you:
Care personally, and
Challenge directly
They don't use candor as an excuse to be rude. And they don't use empathy as an excuse to stay silent.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
🛠️ Radical Candor: How to Be Direct Without Being an Asshole
3. They Turn Every Interaction into Influence
High-impact leaders influence with clarity, empathy, and repetition.
They communicate in a way that sticks. No jargon or corporate fluff. Just honest, clear, consistent messages, delivered again and again.
They know that:
Every 1:1 is a trust-building opportunity
Every meeting is a moment to align and inspire
Every message is a signal of leadership
They use communication as a tool not just to pass their message along, but to drive action.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
🛠️ The 3 Stages of Communication in Leadership
4. They Lead with Systems, Not Heroics
Average managers jump in to save the day. High-impact leaders build systems so the day doesn’t need saving.
They don’t try to be heroes. They scale themselves through:
Repeatable playbooks
Documented processes
Automation
Instead of obsessing over the finish line, they zoom in on the process. They shift their energy from setting targets to building the habits that make progress automatic.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
🛠️ Systems > Goals: How to Build Habits That Deliver Results
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5. They Know the Real Game Is Perception
Being valuable isn’t enough. You have to be seen as valuable.
High-impact leaders know how to tell the story of their work to their boss, their team, and their cross-functional partners.
They don’t brag, but they do:
Share wins early and often
Advocate for their teams
Translate impact into business terms
They know that perception isn’t manipulation, it’s translation.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
🛠️ The Hidden Rulebook 📔 of Corporate Politics (and How to Use It to Your Advantage)
6. They Create Psychological Safety (and Demand Excellence)
The best leaders create a space where:
People speak up without fear
New ideas are welcome
Failures are seen as data, not shame
But they also demand high standards.
It’s this delicate blend of safety + accountability that unlocks real innovation.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
🛠️ The Four Zones of Psychological Safety: Where Does Your Team Sit?
7. They Bet on People Before They’re Ready
High-impact leaders spot potential early, and bet on it.
They:
Give stretch assignments
Promote based on future capability
Trust people before they're “proven”
It may seem scary or risky, but it works.
They believe in the Pygmalion Effect, which says that people rise to the expectations you set for them.
When you believe in someone’s ability to lead, build, or grow, they start believing it too.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out:
🛠️ The Pygmalion Effect: How to Create a High-Performance Culture Through Belief, Not Pressure
Conclusion
By now, you’ve seen the truth: High-impact leaders aren’t born with unfair advantages.
They build them. They don’t work harder, they work smarter, sharper, and more deliberately.
They choose:
Leverage over busyness.
Clarity over comfort.
Long-term bets over short-term applause.
Every one of these advantages is a skill you can build:
You can invest in the future
You can multiply your time, your team, your impact.
You can be the leader who tells the hard truth, and still earn deep trust.
The game isn’t rigged or unfair. You just need to start playing it better.
So, which of these advantages are you going to adopt? Let me know in the comments below!
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Fantastic reading, thanks for sharing!