“Because we have always done it that way.”

That phrase is my biggest pet peeve—and it has been for more than 30 years. Many of you who have worked with me have heard me lament it. I have heard it in boardrooms, breakrooms, training sessions, Teams meetings, and project discussions. Sometimes it is said casually, sometimes defensively, and sometimes with a tone that shuts the conversation down before it begins. Every time I hear it, the same thought crosses my mind: that mindset will cost you (or us). Maybe not today, but eventually.

Every leader eventually feels it — that uneasy sense that something just isn't right. Productivity dips. Morale sags. Good employees pull you aside with quiet frustration. And when you finally peel back the layers, the source usually isn't a broken system or a bad policy. It's ONE PERSON.

The old phrase holds because the metaphor is accurate. A rotten apple doesn't politely rot on its own. It spreads — slowly at first, then aggressively — until someone steps in or the whole basket is lost.

In business, we need to be leaders who exhibit innovation, sound fiscal management, and vision to watch over the business, and we need to be shepherds who watch over the people in our charge. So, I want to offer up another word: guardian. Like a shepherd, a guardian protects those in their care, but beyond that, a guardian may assume responsibility for guidance, fiscal stability, and preservation. No matter which word you choose, manipulator should never be a part of the description or definition.