BTL Episode 5 - Feeling unseen and misunderstood.

Dear André, I find myself building new systems that repair the errors of my colleagues. They are praised for the newfound success of their work, while the team itself sees me as the arsonist for merely pointing to the fire. They say I am not a team player. It is all becoming exhausting. How do I stop being the villain in a story where I am trying to do my job and support? - I.H.

Dear I.H.,

Thank you for your honesty. It describes a situation that is deeply familiar in the world of business, yet rarely spoken of with such clarity. You find yourself in the role of the architect, thoughtfully designing systems for stability and growth, yet you are perceived as a disruptive force.

The work you do is of a different order than the day-to-day tasks that often get noticed. You are not just completing a task, you are building the infrastructure that makes all future tasks and initiatives run better. For the company, this translates directly into greater efficiency, higher quality output, and a reduced risk of serious failure.

This kind of foundational work is often invisible, precisely because its goal is the absence of problems. The pushback you feel, being called the "arsonist", is a predictable reaction. By improving a system, you implicitly highlight its previous flaws. You are a catalyst for necessary change, and catalysts are rarely thanked in the moment.

And here, I would like to offer a challenge, a shift in perspective. You see yourself as the one pointing to the fire. This is your truth. The team sees you as the arsonist. This is theirs. While their label is unfair and painful, it is worth asking: what is it in our approach that can cause others to mistake the firefighter for the firestarter? Is it possible to be correct about the solution, but to deliver the message in a way that makes people feel judged rather than enlisted in a common cause?

This presents the true internal conflict. Not just what you do, but how you do it. The desire to be seen for your contributions is not a weakness, it is profoundly human and necessary for your career. The challenge is to make your value visible in a way that feels authentic to you, and constructive for the team.

An architect does not simply leave a pile of bricks and hope someone notices a strong wall has been built. He presents the blueprint. Your idea of sharing the blueprint is the key, but how you share it is everything. An architect who presents a finished plan without consultation can be seen as dictating. But one who unrolls a draft and says, "Here is what I am thinking, what do you see? How can we make this work for us all?", that person becomes a collaborator.

This is not a boast or a plea for recognition. It is an act of strategic, collaborative communication. You are shifting the narrative from "He points out our mistakes" to "He helps us build systems that make us all more successful."

You are not the villain. You are the one building long-term value. Learning to invite others to help you draw the blueprint may be the key to being seen as the leader you truly are.

Yours, in the quiet construction,

André