The most powerful policies are usually the shortest ones.
When GM’s Mary Barra replaced a 10-page dress code with just two words—“Dress appropriately”—she did more than simplify a rule. She sparked a cultural shift in how leaders made decisions and how teams took ownership.
This true story, shared by tech CEO Wouter Durville, shows what happens when leaders stop hiding behind policies and start leading with accountability.
When Mary Barra took over GM’s HR department, she found a 10-page dress code policy. She replaced all 10 pages with just two words: “Dress appropriately.”
The HR team panicked.
A senior director sent an angry email demanding more detailed rules.
But Barra held firm.
When the director called to complain that his team wore jeans to government meetings, she didn’t cave.
Instead, she told him: “Have a conversation with your team.”
Two weeks later, he called back excited.
His team had solved it themselves…they’d keep dress pants in their lockers for important meetings.
Here’s what happened across GM:
- Managers started making decisions instead of following rulebooks
- Employee engagement improved as people felt trusted
- Bureaucracy dropped as leaders focused on outcomes, not compliance
Barra realized: “If they can’t handle ‘dress appropriately,’ what other judgment decisions are they not making?”
This story highlights something I regularly see middle and senior managers struggle with: the tendency to abdicate leadership by hiding behind policies—or deferring to someone more senior—to avoid having a hard conversation with a team member.
It’s easy to point to a policy and say, “Don’t get mad at me, it’s company policy.” It’s easy to throw up your hands and say, “I can’t do anything; the CEO said we have to.” But that’s not leadership. That’s being a chicken and refusing to take accountability.
Leadership requires the courage to have hard conversations.
Accountable leadership means taking ownership of the outcomes you’re responsible for and doing what you can do to make them happen.
“What you can do” implies there will almost always be obstacles and constraints, but that’s also where your power lies. Strong leaders acknowledge the constraints, then focus on the variables within their control or influence to create better results. And one of those variables squarely within your influence is your team member’s behavior and performance.
As Barra’s story illustrates, having a hard conversation doesn’t have to be disciplinary. It’s about being clear about expected outcomes and firm on standards, and then working with your team to help them achieve those outcomes.
So, if you’re hesitating to have a hard conversation and wondering whether now is the right time—trust me, it is. Waiting won’t make it easier. In most cases, it only makes the situation worse.
And if you’re unsure how to have the conversation—good news! I recently wrote a piece called “How to Make Tough Conversations Your Superpower.” If you haven’t read it yet, check it out here.
If you are struggling with having hard conversations or anything I wrote above, please email info@availleadership.com, I’d love to continue the conversation!
