Rich Garza

Cutting through the noise, asking better questions, and exploring the ideas that shape how we think, work, and live.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

@Uber_Support is a mess. 6-12 hours wait time to even hear a concern. Mind blowing.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

When everything keeps shifting, your job is to bring clarity.

People don’t need perfect plans.

They need to understand what’s changing, why it matters, and how it affects them. Explain the shifts and connect it to purpose.

Communicate clearly. Listen actively.
Then help them move forward.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

You lead through change with clarity and direction.

If they don’t get why it’s happening or how it affects them, they’ll resist.

Your job is to make it make sense: What’s changing? Why it matters? What it means for them?

Repeat it until it sticks.
That’s leadership through uncertainty.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

You want to know why your team’s stuck?

Because no one’s solving problems.
They’re all covering their ass.

Every doc, every note, and every update is just proof it wasn’t their fault. And that’s not a bad team.

That’s bad leadership.

You built a system where blame moves faster than decisions. So yeah, they’re protecting themselves.

If you want real progress, kill the fear first.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

To handle office politics without losing yourself: stay grounded in your values while learning how the system works.

Pay attention to who actually holds influence, how decisions get made, and where the real conversations happen.

Act with integrity, stay consistent. It’s not a game to win.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

Your work isn’t visible unless you make it.

But that doesn’t mean bragging.

It means being proactive, sharing progress when it matters, and showing outcomes.

Loop the right people. Build relationships with the ones who need to know.

Visibility isn’t luck. It’s built through communication.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

Stop thinking your documentation is neutral.

In every meeting note, every project recap... you’re not capturing insight. You’re leaving fingerprints.

And when things go wrong, those fingerprints become evidence.

This isn’t knowledge management. It’s legal positioning.

Your team knows it. That’s why they’re writing defensively.

And if you’re not, you’re the one getting blindsided later.

Wake up.

Your documentation system is prosecuting your people.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

Let’s just say it straight: most leadership training doesn’t help.

Real leadership develops through repetition under fire. Through making mistakes when they matter. Through getting feedback that stings because the outcome was real.

Read more on my newsletter: https://t.co/x10QZHSsuu

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

Stop waiting for permission.

Just do the work that needs doing. Fix what’s broken. Share what’s missing. Make things clearer for other people.

You don’t need a title for that. You need initiative, clarity, and consistency.

That’s what people start to trust.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

Leadership roles will affect your personal life. That’s the truth.

But it doesn’t have to wreck it.

It helps you set a standard. And that standard carries over into relationships, decisions, and life.

The job doesn’t just take from you.
It can shape you, if you let it.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

When things get hard, you don’t need motivation.

What you need is grounding.

Stay close to people who’ll tell you the truth.
Ask for feedback. Have real conversations.

One opinion or one review do not define you.
Leadership is a long game, expect setbacks.
Use them. And keep going.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

Confidence doesn’t show up first.
You act. You learn. Then it shows up.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

You got promoted.

So why are you still doubting yourself?

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

The job didn’t come with a manual.

You’re making decisions you don’t feel ready for.

That’s the job now.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

Lead through it.
Build from it.
And don’t let fear have the mic.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

How do I get over the fear of failing publicly?

Short answer:
You don’t.
You get over yourself.

[Rich Garza @elrrich]

I'm building a system for that exact moment.
The crash.
The shake.
The pressure.