There's No Such Thing as Common Sense

Welcome to this week’s issue of The Healthcare Leader — one thought on leadership, operations, and career.

This week’s ideas all touch on the assumptions we believe that may differ from how things actually work.

We misread people, overestimate “common sense,” and assume our performance alone will lead to success.

None of these are new concepts.
But they’re easy to forget.

Here’s to starting this week open-minded and curious.

On my way to work last week I listened to Jay Shetty discuss schadenfreude — the German term for “harm joy,” or our innate fascination with others failing or falling from grace.

It stuck with me, not because leaders celebrate the failure of others — but because of how quickly we interpret them.

When someone struggles, do we see a fault, or a mistake?

A fault ties the behavior to identity.
A mistake separates the action from the person.

Highly driven leaders — especially in healthcare — often blur that line. We’re disciplined. We see the work as a calling. And because we hold ourselves to a high standard, we assume others should as well.

That instinct isn’t wrong.
But it becomes risky when we allow a single moment to define someone’s reputation.

Mistakes are situational.
Faults imply permanence.

Strong leaders learn to pause and ask: Was this a lapse, or intentional? A skill gap, or a values gap?

That distinction determines whether you develop talent… or chase it out the door.

Operational leadership is judged by one thing: results.

Quality. Patient experience. Employee engagement. Financial stewardship. Public trust.
Talk is cheap until it drives the desired outcomes.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned working in change management is this: there’s no such thing as common sense.

How do you play vibrato on a violin?
How do you place a suture?
How do you build a VLOOKUP in Excel?

Ask someone who does these daily and they’ll tell you “it’s common sense”.
Each feels obvious — if you’ve lived in that world.

This is why experts often struggle as teachers. They’ve internalized the steps so deeply that they skip past what others actually need. Then we’re surprised when a one-hour workshop doesn’t change behavior.

If you want to lead changes that drives results, follow the wisdom of Michael Scott: “Explain this to me like I’m five.”

Leaders who want to look smart speak fast and expect others to follow.
Leaders who care about developing others communicate a bit differently:

Assuming shared understanding gives the allusion you’ll save time.
Building shared understanding actually saves time.

Every leader — every person — wants to be recognized for the work we do.

But when it comes to your career, recognition doesn’t scale the way we wish it did.

Yes you need to show up.
Yes you need to do good work.
But performance alone plays a small role in career growth.

A few years back I had a friend introduce me to Harvey J. Coleman’s PIE model — which breaks down what it takes to get that next promotion as:

Performance is the foundation. Without it, nothing else matters.
But at senior levels, it rarely differentiates.

Image is how people experience you and interpret your performance.
Do you look, sound, and act like someone who should move into higher levels of leadership?

Exposure is who knows your work well enough to advocate for you. And can actually open doors for your next opportunity.

No one is searching back office cubicles and patient hallways for hidden potential. (Although maybe we should).

When a new role opens, decision-makers recall the names they trust, recognize, and have seen in action. That doesn’t require self-promotion — but it does require visibility.

This was (and still is) hard for me.
I don’t like politicking or kissing up.

But I’ve come to realize you can do this without being sleezy.

It’s not politics.

It’s telling your story.
Building relationships.
Continuing to deliver results that matter.

Thanks again for following along. And if you have stories or insights you would like to share — hit reply. I’d love to help amplify your knowledge and experience.

Until next time, stay inspired!
Rob Erich, MBA, FACHE
LinkedIn: @RobErich