Some time back, I was walking to a meeting with a colleague and our leader when the conversation turned to intention and impact. My colleague argued that impact mattered more. I pushed back. Surely intention mattered at least as much.

Years ago, I worked with a leader who regularly talked about the need for personal accountability. It was woven into leadership meetings, organizational values, and performance conversations. There was no question that it mattered to him and the leadership team. At least, that was the message.

Recently, I found myself thinking about two organizations I consulted with early in my career that, on paper, looked remarkably similar. Both had thoughtful leaders. Both had invested in leadership development. Both spoke about collaboration, accountability, and respect. Both employed talented people who cared deeply about their work. Yet spending time in the two organizations felt entirely different.

Leadership advice often sounds cleaner, simpler and easier than leadership itself. Books, articles, and conference presentations can create the impression that leadership challenges have identifiable causes, straightforward solutions, and predictable outcomes. With sufficient insight, skill, or discipline, leaders should be able to chart a clear path forward.

In practice, leadership rarely works that way.