*This article was repurposed with permission from Progressive Discoveries, LLC.
A fresh look at why good intentions do not always create strong results
Just the other day, I found myself at the height of frustration while trying to complete a simple function inside a tricky app. I kept doing what I thought I knew to do, clicking, refreshing, and repeating the same sequence again and again, convinced the app was broken. I even pulled in a team member, and together we spiraled into the familiar question we have all asked at some point: “Why is this not working?”
Finally, we did the one thing we had avoided the entire time.
We read the instructions.
And just like that, it worked.
That moment reminded me of so many salon leaders I have worked with over the years. They are good people with good intentions who rely on what they believe should work but sometimes don’t step back to examine the habits and assumptions that drive their leadership patterns.
Take Maria, for example. She is warm, kind, and supportive, and genuinely cares about her team. Her goal is to create a positive environment where people feel valued. But her desire to be liked keeps her from setting clear expectations or addressing issues directly. She believes kindness should inspire loyalty and strong performance, but her team struggles with inconsistency and a lack of accountability.
Then there is Derrick. He gives his stylists plenty of freedom because he wants them to feel creative and unrestricted. He believes autonomy is the path to empowerment. But without shared service standards, clear expectations about timing, or a structured workflow, services drift, consultations vary from guest to guest, and he often finds himself stepping in to fix service or technical problems. He can’t understand why the freedom he encourages isn’t producing the fantastic outcomes he imagined.
And then there is Taylor. She is fully committed to excellence and wants the salon to be recognized as the best in town. Her approach is to ensure every detail is perfect. She jumps in to correct mistakes, tightly oversees the work, and keeps a close eye on every aspect of the guest experience. But instead of feeling inspired, her team feels overwhelmed, watched, and hesitant to take initiative. Over time they begin to pull back, and the environment feels tense.
Can you relate to any of these managers?
Most salon leaders can.
Each of these leaders wants to make a meaningful impact. They want to impress their owners, delight guests, increase sales, and build talented and engaged teams. But their results tell a different story.
If they were completely honest, each would admit that their current way of leading is not delivering what they hoped. Maria avoids conflict. Derrick avoids structure. Taylor avoids letting go. Their behaviors look different, yet these leaders share one powerful dynamic.
They are caught in what I call a Mode Loop.
A Mode Loop is a repeated cycle of familiar behaviors that leaders fall into when they rely on what feels natural or comfortable, even when it is not producing the results they want. Mode Loops often serve a subtle self-protective purpose. They help the leader avoid discomfort, conflict, or uncertainty while unintentionally limiting clarity, culture, and performance.
Mode Loops are tricky because they feel right.
They feel natural.
And they feel justified.
But as long as a leader stays inside a loop they trust more than the results they are getting, the salon stays stuck too.
So, what actually moves the needle?
In my work with leaders across beauty, wellness, and barbering industries, I have found that breakthrough leadership comes down to a simple, yet powerful equation.
Clarity + Culture.
A leader’s clarity affects everything. It shapes how well they communicate expectations, direction, standards, timing, and boundaries. Clarity creates the container for performance.
A leader’s influence on culture determines whether people feel psychologically safe, supported, respected, and motivated to meet those expectations. Culture creates the conditions for performance.
Many leaders are strong in one area and challenged in the other.
Maria is strong on culture but unclear.
Taylor is clear but lacks cultural connection.
Derrick struggles with both.
When clarity and culture work together, teams thrive. Guests feel the difference. Systems stick. Results become steady instead of unpredictable. Leaders who once felt confused finally understand what their team needs from them to succeed.
This is the reason I developed the Leadership Mode SnapshotTM. It isn’t a personality test or a quick fix. Rather, it is a practical tool that helps leaders see their patterns and understand how their current approach affects their leadership clarity and team culture. Once leaders can see what is happening, they can shift with purpose, instead of guessing or hoping.
Because the truth is simple.
People do not grow from good intentions alone.
They grow from awareness and informed action.
And once a leader can see the Mode Loop that has guided their actions and decisions, they gain the power to choose something different.
If you can see it, you can shift it.
And when salon leaders shift, entire salons change with them.
Janet Williams is the Founder of Progressive Discoveries, a consulting and leadership development firm that helps beauty, wellness, and barbering organizations build the workplace culture leaders want and employees love, with no shame or blame. With more than twenty-five years of experience in learning and development, curriculum design, coaching, and organizational effectiveness, Janet is known for helping leaders strengthen clarity, deepen connection, and create cultures where trust and performance can thrive. She is the creator of the Leadership Mode SnapshotTM, a practical tool that helps salon leaders understand how their everyday behaviors shape clarity, culture, and results.
To learn more about Progressive Discoveries + Leadership Mode SnapshotTM
www.progressivediscoveries.com, or connect with her on LinkedIn or Facebook
Join Janet in 2026 for her presentations at Serious Business in New Orleans or America’s Beauty Show as she discusses how to shift it once you see it.
Originally posted on Salon Today