There’s a common trap leaders fall into: They assume because they’ve seen something before, they know exactly how to handle it now. I’ve seen this play out in racing. I’ve seen it in healthcare policy meetings. I’ve seen it in boardrooms. And I’ve learned that past experience can mislead you if you treat it like gospel.

Leadership isn’t just about making decisions. It’s about how people experience you day after day. You can have the title, the track record, the influence, but if your behavior changes depending on who’s in the room, how stressed you are, or what mood you’re in, your credibility starts to erode. People notice inconsistency. They may not call it out. But they remember it. And in leadership, that quiet loss of trust is costly...