Most employees believe their biggest challenge is the organization—unclear priorities, inconsistent leadership, or constant change. But in reality, 80% of performance friction comes from something far simpler—our own clarity, ownership, and feedback habits.
When expectations are fuzzy, ownership is reactive, and feedback loops break down, even great employees end up spinning their wheels. The good news? You don’t need perfect leadership to thrive—you just need your own formula.
Clarity + Ownership + Feedback = Self-Leadership.
In this episode of Unlearning Work, Erin Merideth flips The Leadership Formula on its head—showing how employees can lead themselves inside any system, even when leadership isn’t consistent. You’ll learn how to create clarity instead of waiting for it, take ownership of your impact (not just your intent), and use feedback as a tool for partnership rather than performance anxiety.
Because the best employees don’t just follow direction—they co-create outcomes.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:


Why waiting for clarity from your boss keeps you stuck in reactive mode—and how to start co-creating it.


How to translate vague goals into actionable success statements that align both sides.


What true ownership looks like (and why it’s not about doing more, it’s about thinking like an owner).


How to separate control from influence—and take action from both zones.


Why feedback is the hidden power tool for employees—and how to give it without fear or friction.


How shared accountability creates trust and removes the need for micromanagement.


The three micro-moves that turn compliance into contribution: clarify, act, and close the loop.


Behavioral Science Highlights


Cognitive Clarity: Ambiguity drains cognitive energy. Defining success in your own words reduces anxiety and improves execution.


Agency Theory: When employees take proactive ownership, trust compounds—and leaders grant more autonomy in return.


Feedback Loops: Regular feedback exchanges create psychological safety by reducing uncertainty and surprise.


Self-Efficacy Theory: Taking even small ownership actions strengthens your belief in your ability to influence outcomes.


Attribution Bias: Clear communication reduces the human tendency to assume intent (“They don’t care”) instead of fact (“They didn’t know”).


Real-Life Examples


A production analyst who stopped guessing priorities and started each week asking, “What’s one win that would matter most?”—instantly aligning work with leadership goals.


A maintenance technician who mapped downtime data instead of escalating complaints—and gained credibility as a trusted problem-solver.


An operations coordinator who reframed her manager’s inconsistency as a clarity gap, not a character flaw—and rebuilt communication through weekly check-ins.


A team that introduced a simple “Friday Feedback Five” (five minutes to close feedback loops)—and watched tension drop while engagement rose.


Erin’s own story of unlearning the “good employee” myth—moving from over-delivering and over-apologizing to leading with partnership and shared accountability.


Try These Unlearning Moves
✅ Create clarity: Translate goals into specific, observable outcomes. Ask, “What would success look like by Friday?” ✅ Take ownership: Choose one thing in your control and one in your influence to move forward this week. ✅ Give feedback: Use the sentence frame: “When ___ happens, it helps/hurts me in this way. Can we try ___?” ✅ Close loops: Don’t wait for a review. Check in weekly: “Here’s what’s working; here’s what could be easier.” ✅ Reframe frustration: Before assuming intent, ask, “What information might they not have?” ✅ Build partnership: Treat leadership as a system you shape—not a structure you survive. ✅ Track your wins: Visibility creates momentum. Capture one progress point each week, no matter how small.
Reflection Prompts


Where am I waiting for clarity that I could create through better questions?


How often do I communicate what success looks like for me?


What’s one area where I’ve been acting out of compliance instead of contribution?


Who could benefit from a feedback loop that I’ve been avoiding?


What would change if I saw leadership as a partnership, not a hierarchy?


How might creating clarity, ownership, and feedback reduce my own emotional tax at work?


🎧 Bonus for Listeners
Inside the Unlearning Work App, you’ll find the Employee Formula Playbook—a one-page, fillable worksheet that helps you:
✅ Identify what clarity you need to perform at your best ✅ Map your control and influence zones for smarter ownership ✅ Draft feedback conversations that build trust, not tension ✅ Reflect on how you can lead yourself inside any system
Because great employees don’t wait for perfect leadership—they practice better partnership.
You’ll also unlock the Work Style Quiz, which shows how your natural tendencies (whether you’re an Inspired Starter, System Strategist, Just-in-Time Performer, or Thoughtful Planner) shape how you take ownership—and how to tailor your formula to your brain.
👉 Download the Unlearning Work App today in the App Store or Google Play, grab the worksheet, and start building friction that works for you, not against you.
Join the Conversation
✨ Take the free Work Style Assessment to uncover your natural work style and where your friction points should live.💬 Share your takeaways! Tag @erinmerideth and @unlearningwork and use #UnlearningWork to connect with others learning to work smarter, not faster.🔗 Download the Unlearning Work App to access quizzes, worksheets, and custom behavior tools for your work style.
📲 Subscribe & Stay Connected
📥 Download the Unlearning Work App for exclusive tools and behavior design resources🎧 Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform⭐ Leave a review if this episode resonated—it helps others discover the work📬 Join the Work Reimagined Newsletter for behind-the-scenes insights and free behavior frameworks📱 Follow Erin Merideth on Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Facebook for weekly leadership and behavioral science insights

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