The One Word That’s Undermining Your Leadership
One word may be quietly undermining your leadership – and you’re probably using it every day. As leaders, the language we choose doesn’t only communicate – it sets the tone, shapes culture, and reveals what we truly value. As Columbia Business School professor Adam Galinsky notes, our words influence how others see themselves and their work. And yet, one small word many of us use unconsciously – “just” – has the power to dismiss, diminish, and downplay the people and tasks that keep our organizations moving forward.
How often have you said something like:
“It’s just a small task.”
“They’re just an intern.”
“We’re just tweaking the plan.”
At first glance, the word “just” may seem harmless. But in leadership, language matters – and casually saying someone should “just” do something can unintentionally minimize their effort, expertise, or the complexity of the task. What you intend as encouragement or simplicity may come across as dismissive, signaling that the work – or the person doing it – is unimportant. It also risks assuming full knowledge of a situation you may only partially see.
For leaders, language isn’t just communication – it’s culture-building. Here are the hidden costs of using ‘just’ too casually:
Devaluing Effort: Labeling something as “just” minimizes the work involved. That “small” task may have required hours of planning or represent a critical step in achieving a larger goal.
Disregarding Context: Saying “just” assumes simplicity or ease, yet you don’t know what else your colleague or team member may have on their plate. That task could be one of dozens competing for their attention – or they might be managing personal challenges of which you’re unaware.
Stifling Initiative: Calling someone “just” an intern or junior team member discourages them from speaking up. Why? It reinforces a power dynamic that suggests their ideas matter less because of their rank. The unspoken message: “Why listen to you? You’re below me.” That mindset shuts down valuable contributions and trust.
Fostering Complacency: Framing tasks as “just” something simple can lead to a lack of urgency or attention to detail, as if it’s not worth full effort.
Reframing for Leadership Impact
Good leaders recognize that every role, task, or project is part of a larger mission. They also recognize that people are navigating more than what’s visible on the surface. Instead of saying just, try these approaches:
Acknowledge importance: Replace “It’s just a small task” with “This task is critical to moving us forward.”
Appreciate contribution: Instead of “They’re just an intern,” say, “They’re a key member of the team contributing fresh ideas.”
Demonstrate empathy: Swap “We’re just tweaking the plan” for “We’re refining the plan to make it even stronger - let me know if this fits with everything else you’re managing.”
The Bottom Line
The words you choose as a leader shape how your team feels, performs, and engages. Simply removing the word “just” from your vocabulary can be a powerful shift – not to inflate importance, but to affirm it. Saying someone is “just” an intern or that a task is “just” a quick fix subtly minimizes value, effort, and potential. Appreciative Inquiry, a collaborative and strengths-based approach used in organizational and social change, tells us that language shapes our reality and that careless words can reinforce limiting beliefs. Changing your “just” habit takes intention, but it signals to your team that you respect their contributions and see their work as meaningful. And often, what seems like a small change in language can create a lasting impact on trust, morale, and performance.
If a single word can limit your leadership, imagine what intentional language could unlock. Connect with us to explore ways to set intention and create a strong culture within your team.