How to Lead When You Didn’t Make the Rules

What do you say when your team pushes back on a policy you didn’t create?
This episode explores a common moment where many team leaders lose credibility — and how you can handle it differently.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between your team and “head office,” this one’s for you.

Want to go further?
Our Team Leader Essentials and Performance Accelerator programmes are designed to help you navigate tough leadership moments like this — and bring out the best in yourself and your team. 

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Chapters

• 0:05 Welcome And Format
• 0:35 The Policy Complaint Dilemma
• 1:31 Don’t Deflect, Explain The Why
• 2:02 Find The Purpose And Reframe
• 2:33 Examples That Build Credibility
• 3:06 Own The Meaning
• 3:07 Programs And How To Connect
• 3:58 Subscribe And What’s Next

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:05

Welcome to Leading People with me, Jerry Murray. This week it's One Simple Thing, where in each episode I share a quick, actionable tip to help you bring out the best in yourself and others. One simple thing is created for young leaders. But hey, us older folks can still learn a thing or two. Ask my dog, he's learned a few new tricks recently. Here's a question for you. What do you say when one of your direct reports complains about a policy you didn't create? Maybe it's about holidays, hybrid working rules or expenses. Now you're caught in the middle. You didn't make the rules, but you're expected to enforce them. That's tough. And it's where many team leaders trip up. It's tempting to deflect by saying, Don't look at me, I don't agree with it either. Or that's just the way it is. But here's the problem. Every time you do that, you risk eroding your own credibility. You position yourself as lacking authority. You appear not to be aligned with the organization, with your boss, with your peers, and over time you run the risk that your team stops trusting you as a leader. So, here's one simple thing you can test out. You don't need to defend the policy, simply explain its purpose. You don't have to agree with every policy, but it's your job as a leader to understand and communicate the why behind it. And if you don't know the why, then go find out. Ask your own manager, ask HR, or whoever owns the policy, and then reframe it in terms that your team can relate to. For example, you could explain this policy is here to ensure fairness. Or here's how this helps us deliver to our clients. Or it might feel rigid, but here's the business impact. People can handle rules, even tough ones, when they understand the reasoning behind them. And the moment you start linking policy to purpose, you build trust and your credibility. You show up as someone who's informed, confident, and aligned with the business. So remember, don't just deliver the message. Own the meaning behind the message. Because that's what great leaders do. Wanna take this further? Our team leader essentials and accelerating performance programs are designed to help leaders just like you handle difficult situations with confidence while building credibility and trust. Get in touch today and check out the link in the show notes. And that's another one simple thing. Thanks for tuning in. Remember, small steps can lead to big changes. Test out this one simple thing and notice how it transforms your day. Let me know how you get on. Reach out on LinkedIn and connect with me. Mention the podcast. And if you'd like to learn more One Simple Things, then subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast channel and follow our LinkedIn Leading People page. In our next episode of One Simple Thing, we'll explore another easy way to be a great leader by bringing out the best in yourself and those around you. And in between, you can check out one of my longer conversations with leading people about, yes, you've guessed it, leading people. So until then, keep exploring and stay curious.