359. The Pattern You Can't See (That Everyone Else Can)

Most leaders run two operating systems simultaneously: the Official System (stated values and standards) and the Shadow System (who actually gets held accountable).
The gap between those two systems is where culture quietly dies.
Favoritism itself isn't the core problem — unconscious double standards are.
Employees won't tell you about the Shadow System; those benefiting have no reason to, and those harmed fear being labeled complainers.
When top performers go quiet, lose engagement, or leave — it's often a response to a leader's blind spot, not their own.

Assume the Shadow System already exists in your organization — because it probably does.
Watch for the five symptoms: vanishing feedback, sudden "personality conflicts," whisper networks, top talent exodus, and excessive approval-seeking.
When high performers start acting differently, your first assumption should be that you are the variable — not them.
Ask yourself: do you know who your favorites are and why? That awareness is the starting point
Apply the same standards consistently — same test, same grading, every time.

Think of one person on your team who consistently gets the benefit of the doubt. Now think of one who doesn't. Are their track records actually that different?
If your top performers left tomorrow, would your exit interviews reveal a pattern you've been blind to?