What people really resent about hierarchy

Ended up in a discussion about resentment and hierarchy yesterday, and my view is that most people don't resent hierarchy. They resent leaders who take the benefits of authority but avoid its costs.

Every organisation runs on an unspoken contract. People will accept titles, pay gaps and decision rights because there is a clear expectation underneath it all.

When things get hard, you, the leaders, will carry more of the weight, not less. That's the deal.

When systems go down and pressure rises, people pay close attention. Not to the plan decks or values statements, but to how and what leaders do with their power. Do they step up or push the risk downward, grab hold of the uncertainty or hide behind the process? Who do they choose to protect, the team or themselves?

When that contract is broken, people don't rebel. They adapt. Judgement gives way to caution. Future collaboration turns into compliance. Teams quietly shift from "we" to "me". What often gets labelled as a motivation or culture problem is usually something else. A failure of leadership to absorb the cost that comes with authority.

Power isn't just privilege. It's an obligation.

And the leaders people trust most aren't the loudest or most certain. They're the ones who stay exposed when it would be easier to deflect, delay or delegate the discomfort away.

Most people know when that contract is being honoured. And they know immediately when it's not.

First published on LinkedIn, 5 February 2026.