In 1985, Ron Einblau and Harriet Lemer founded a leadership consulting firm grounded in a simple but enduring truth:
People make or break everything, and systems either support that truth or sabotage it.
Ron brought a technical mind and a sociological lens to leadership, helping organizations see how structure, process, and group dynamics influence behavior.
Harriet championed emotional intelligence and communication long before they were mainstream, guiding leaders to show up with both strength and empathy.
Their work laid the foundation for a leadership approach that values not just performance but the human capacity behind it.
Today, that foundation continues to evolve. We call it Culture-Carried Leadership. A model grounded in the understanding that leadership strength is not sustained by individuals alone, but by the conditions that support it → organizational infrastructure, leadership capability, and human sustainability. When all three are intentionally designed and reinforced, leadership capacity is built into the culture itself, rather than concentrated in a few people at the top.
And in today’s climate of complexity, uncertainty, and constant change, that evolution has never been more needed.
To commemorate our 40th anniversary, we’re sharing four of the most enduring lessons we’ve learned walking alongside leaders navigating growth, change, and complexity. Lessons that continue to shape strong leadership systems today.
Lesson 1: Leaders Can’t Solve What Their Teams Are Afraid to Say Out Loud
The most sophisticated strategies in the world will fail if the people executing them are misaligned.
We’ve seen billion-dollar projects stall over a single unresolved interpersonal tension. We’ve seen brilliant teams unravel because communication styles clashed and no one had the tools — or courage within the company’s culture — to name it.
In high-stakes environments, unspoken conflict doesn’t stay small. It compounds.
That’s why people dynamics are often the first thing we assess. Not the structure. Not the KPIs. As Ron Einblau often said:
“The brightest minds can’t build a spaceship if everyone’s arguing.”
It’s not just a clever turn of phrase — it’s a leadership imperative. Ron further shared:
“Most problems in organizations aren’t technical. They’re people-problems in disguise. If you’re not dealing with that so people can work at their full potential, you’re not really leading.”
Strong leadership systems create the conditions where truth can surface early, safely, and productively — before misalignment hardens into risk.
Reflection: What people dynamics are blocking progress in your organization right now?
Lesson 2: Problems Persist If You Only Address the Symptoms
In leadership — and in consulting — what’s presented isn’t always what’s preventing progress.
From the beginning, we’ve understood that organizations don’t just need training. They need traction. They need clarity. They need someone who can look beyond symptoms and help name what’s actually in the way.
That’s why we’ve never sold prepackaged projects or off-the-shelf programs. We’ve always started by asking:
“What’s really going on here?”
Because behind every request for a workshop, coaching, or strategy session, there’s often something more:
- Silos no one’s quite sure how to bridge
- Trust that’s been quietly eroding over time
- A gap in leadership development that’s never been strategically addressed
As our Co-founder Harriet put it:
“Our clients didn’t need more binders on their shelves. They needed space to speak the truth and a partner to help them work through it.”
And here’s the part that really matters:
We ask the hard questions not because we’re looking for fault — but because we believe in people’s willingness to do the right thing, once the path is clear.
There are always bright spots, strengths, and stories of genuine care inside an organization. We make sure those are honored too — because uncovering what’s hard is only worthwhile when it helps good people do better work, together.
You can’t grow what you haven’t named — and what you don’t understand, you can’t change.
Reflection: What conversations might you be avoiding when the real breakthrough is waiting on the other side?
Lesson 3: Command & Control Is Outdated. Here’s What Endures.
The workplace culture of the ’80s and ’90s often revolved around one leadership model: command and control. It worked in some settings — for a while. But it also bred compliance without commitment. And that’s a shaky foundation for anything meant to last.
As Rachelle Lee, President of Einblau & Associates, observes:
“The shift away from top-down management wasn’t just cultural. It became clear that performance without trust isn’t sustainable. People won’t give their best to leaders that create or uphold a system that doesn’t value them.”
The truth is, people have always wanted more than direction. They want to be respected, equipped with the right knowledge and tools, and part of something that matters. That’s not generational entitlement — it’s human nature.
What’s changed is the recognition that how leaders lead is just as important as what results they drive the team towards
At Einblau, we help leaders replace outdated models of control with Culture-Carried Leadership where leadership lives in systems, not just in superstars. When feedback, clarity, and development are built into day-to-day operations, leadership becomes everyone’s job.
Influence always outlasts authority.
You’ll never future-proof your organization through fear or force. You need systems that deliver performance because they invest in people and allow leaders to have influence on creating the right conditions for that performance to occur.
Reflection: Are your systems and leadership culture aligned with what truly motivates people to work at their full potential?
Lesson 4: Technical Experts Often Miss That Work Success Is About Leading People
Some of the most common and preventable breakdowns we see are a result of promoting technically brilliant people into leadership roles without preparing them with the leadership skills they need to succeed.
They’re smart. Skilled. Trusted. But the same strengths that earned them a promotion rarely prepare them to navigate human dynamics by:
- Managing conflict
- Coaching performance
- Creating psychological safety
- Listening without defensiveness
As Ron Einblau said:
“Technical leaders are often promoted because they can do. Leadership requires letting go of being the expert.”
One of our early strengths as a firm was helping technical leaders shift from fixing daily technical problems to leading and guiding people through issues. That approach is even more important today.
Technical excellence may get you noticed — but relational competency is what sustains performance at scale.
Reflection: Are your top performers equipped to lead, not just execute?
What These Lessons Reveal About Leadership Today
The language of leadership has evolved.
The pressures are higher.
The pace is faster.
But some truths remain:
- Misalignment still derails strategy
- The real issues are often invisible
- Most conflict is unwarranted and comes from differences in communication style
- Leadership isn’t just positional — it’s cultural
- Technical expertise needs relationship intelligence to scale
What’s changed is the urgency to get it right because complexity doesn’t wait.
Strong organizations don’t rely on heroic leaders. They build systems that carry leadership forward through clarity, shared practices, and cultural consistency.
Ready to See How Leadership Is Being Carried in Your Organization?
If leadership continuity, capacity, and culture matter to your results, visibility is the starting point.
The Future-Proof Forecast™ gives senior leaders a fast, clear picture of where leadership is strong, strained, or over-concentrated. You’ll understand what to prioritize to design a strong leadership system that lasts.
