Meet Jane, Senior manager of Operations.

NB: I never worked directly with Jane, but I observed her leadership style and workplace conduct firsthand. I am all about women empowerment, however, there are instances where a bad apple would tarnish the way women are viewed in the workplace. Jane is a bad apple.

Fifteen years in leadership.

Fifteen years of managing teams.

Fifteen years of experience that, on paper, should translate into confidence, competence, and credibility.

Yet Jane's story highlights an important reality: time spent in a role does not automatically make someone a leader.

At first glance, Jane appears polished and professional. In meetings, she is respectful. In front of senior leadership, she says all the right things. Her emails to executives are carefully crafted, diplomatic, and thoughtful.

But beneath the surface lies a very different leadership style.

Jane operates through selective transparency. Information is shared with some but not others. Conversations held behind closed doors rarely match the messaging delivered publicly. Team members are often left comparing notes, trying to determine which version of the story is accurate.

One colleague is told one thing.

Another colleague is told something entirely different.

The result? Distrust, confusion, and a team that spends more time navigating politics than performing at its best.

Perhaps most surprising is that after 15 years in the same environment, Jane continues to make mistakes that someone in her position would be expected to anticipate and avoid. Questions that should be answered confidently are often met with uncertainty. Decisions require correction. Explanations change when challenged.

And because teams pay attention, credibility slowly begins to erode.

The most effective leaders unite people.

Jane, intentionally creates divisions.

She speaks differently to different people. She forms alliances. She shares frustrations about one employee with another. Over time, colleagues find themselves comparing conversations and realizing they are not all receiving the same message.

The irony is that leadership is not measured by title, tenure, or years of service.

It is measured by consistency.

Consistency in communication.

Consistency in accountability.

Consistency in how people are treated regardless of title, status, or influence.

The workplace remembers many things, but it rarely remembers how long someone held a position.

It remembers whether that person built trust or quietly dismantled it.

As the old saying goes, appearances can be deceiving.

A title does not make a leader.

A corner office does not create credibility.

And a Birkin bag is not proof that you've made it.

Because true success is not measured by what you carry on your arm, the title on your business card, or the image you project to others.

It is measured by character, integrity, competence, and the way you treat people when there is nothing to gain from doing so.

In the end, the image may impress people.

But the truth always reveals itself.

And whoever encourages Jane’s behaviour is a Jane undercover!