When Hierarchy Gets in the Way

I’m not someone who thinks hierarchy is a bad thing.

In fact, I think it’s essential - when it works well. It creates structure, clarity, and direction. It helps decisions flow and responsibilities land where they should.

But there are times when hierarchy—or more specifically, the way it’s interpreted—becomes a barrier rather than an enabler.

One example still sticks with me.

I was visiting a retail site where the team had been facing persistent operational difficulties. They were doing their best, but struggling to overcome some HR challenges that were clearly getting in the way of day-to-day performance.

When I asked what had stopped them from reaching out to me, the manager said:

“Well, you’re the SVP HR—we didn’t want to bother you with something like this.”

No one had told them not to escalate it. But a belief had taken root: that the leadership team shouldn’t be troubled with operational problems—that those things should be resolved “lower down.”

That’s when hierarchy becomes a blocker. Not because the structure is wrong, but because the mindset around it is.

Who do we really work for?

In that moment, I remember saying something that I’ve carried ever since:

“Ahh, so here’s the thing… None of us get paid unless money goes through the till. So when things get in the way of that—and you feel like you’ve tried everything through the normal routes—you need to remember:I work for the stores, not the other way around.”

It wasn’t about romanticising frontline work. It was about recognising that delivery—not leadership meetings or strategies—is what drives a business forward.

And if the part of the organisation that delivers can’t get what it needs, then the rest of us aren’t doing our jobs.

Hierarchy only works if it enables action

This isn’t about bypassing the management system or making every issue everyone’s problem.

It is about ensuring the structure doesn’t get in the way of momentum.

It’s about challenging the belief that some problems are too “low-level” to be raised—especially when they’re blocking performance.

The role of leadership isn’t to sit above the work. It’s to make the work work.

That means creating the conditions for issues to surface early.

It means staying accessible, tuned in, and responsive.

And it means making sure the stories people tell themselves about “what leaders care about” don’t stop the business from moving forward.

Reflection Prompt

If people in your organisation are holding back from raising what’s getting in their way, ask yourself:

What beliefs might exist about what leadership is interested in—or available for?

And what would shift if we flipped that narrative?