When I left my last role, someone called me an “IB warrior.” It was meant as praise; a nod to the steadiness and care I brought. But it made me pause. What happens when work relies on those qualities without the systems to sustain them?
In many sectors, capability is mistaken for resilience. Reliability is rewarded. Carrying the load quietly is admired. But without protective structures, those same qualities can lead to depletion.
I’ve asked myself a difficult question: If I knew the culture didn’t align with my values, why didn’t I do more to change it? My answer: I did what I could. I built relationships, clarified systems, created structure, held space. But real cultural change takes collective will, not just individual intent.
Over time, I found myself in a pattern of over-responsibility. Others deferred instead of co-creating. Staying began to reinforce a version of leadership I no longer believed in, one where wellbeing was sacrificed in the name of service.
Leaving wasn’t an end. It was a decision to lead differently: to build spaces where care is shared, leadership is distributed, and systems sustain the people within them.
My question to keep reflecting on: When does staying reinforce the very culture you want to change?
Gemma Archer 
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