Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

July 23, 2026

Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm.

Brilliant, but can I trust you?

Howdy ,

I once watched a decision-maker pass over the strongest candidate in the room. Not because the person wasn't capable. Everyone in that room knew he was the sharpest one there.

He didn't get the role because he made the decision-maker nervous.

That's the part nobody tells you. Senior leaders aren't only asking who's best. They're asking who's the safest bet. And those two questions produce two very different answers.

Your confidence can read as arrogance. Your directness can read as a management risk. Your high standards can read as difficult to control at the next level.

Meanwhile, someone less sharp but more predictable than you gets the nod…not because they're better, but because betting on you looks expensive.

Let me be clear about what I'm not saying. I am not telling you to dim yourself down. I am not telling you to hide your capability so someone feels comfortable. That's not the fix, and honestly, it wouldn't work for you even if you tried it.

What I am telling you is this: find out what safety means to the specific person deciding your future. Then give them that signal…without giving up an inch of your standard.

For one leader, safety might mean you flag risks before they become fires. For another, it might mean you don't need managing once you've been given a direction.

You won't know until you pay attention to what actually makes that particular person exhale.

Your move today

Think of the one person whose opinion of you decides your next move.

Ask yourself honestly: what would make them trust you with more, not less? Not what would make you smaller. What would make you legible.

Unpredictable and brilliant loses to predictable and adequate more often than it should. Don't let it be the reason you're still waiting.

Keep winning at work and in life.

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor