Why Steady Leadership Beats Heroic Leadership

In leadership, flashy gets attention—but steady earns trust. In an era where headlines glorify “10x leaders” and overnight turnarounds, it’s worth remembering that the most effective leaders don’t need a cape. They need consistency.

The Problem with Hero Worship

When a company celebrates heroics—pulling all-nighters, saving last-minute deals, fixing fire-drill projects—it creates a culture of reaction, not resilience. While heroic efforts might patch a hole, they rarely fix the leak.

Over time, the hero-leader becomes a bottleneck. Teams grow dependent. Decision-making stalls. Burnout creeps in.

The Case for Consistency

Steady leaders build systems, not just stories. They create predictability in how they show up, how they communicate, and how they support their teams. That consistency makes people feel safe—and safe teams perform better.

At Intertech, our leadership cadence is deliberate. We don’t wait for things to go wrong. We hold daily huddles. We keep a pulse through monthly all-hands and regular check-ins. It’s not flashy. It’s just effective.

What It Looks Like

  • Saying what you’ll do—and doing it.
  • Giving feedback regularly, not just when there’s a problem.
  • Investing in people even when deadlines loom.
  • Having the same energy on a good day and a tough one.

This isn’t about coasting. It’s about showing up like a pro, every time.

Final Thought

You don’t need to be the loudest voice in the room. You need to be the one people trust to be there tomorrow, next week, and next quarter. The leader who plays the long game always wins.

standardFebruary 10Tom SalonekLeadership

The 3 Traits Every Great Consultant Has (and Why We Hire for Them)

At Intertech, we’re in the business of people—specifically, people who make technology work better for our clients. But not just any people. We hire consultants who bring more than technical skills to the table. We look for professionals who reflect the very values we’ve built our business on.

Because when a client partners with Intertech, they’re not hiring a résumé. They’re hiring a mindset.

1. Curiosity with Purpose

The best consultants ask great questions. They’re constantly learning—not just about technology, but about our clients’ businesses, challenges, and goals.

At Intertech, we value curiosity with intent. Our consultants aren’t just interested in the newest framework; they want to know how it can improve outcomes, reduce costs, or speed delivery. That’s why our team members dive into domain knowledge, attend AI training, and engage in regular internal huddles that keep them sharp and aligned with what matters most: creating real impact.

2. Proactive Communication

Software projects don’t stumble because of code—they stumble because of silence. That’s why every Intertech consultant is expected to over-communicate.

Whether it’s raising a risk early, aligning on changing business needs, or offering solutions before they’re asked for, our people keep things moving forward. We reinforce this through daily huddles, client check-ins, and quarterly in-person meetings—practices that build trust and momentum.

3. Extreme Ownership

The moment you join Intertech, you’re not just part of a team—you’re accountable to the outcome. Our consultants are trained to think like owners. That means no handoffs, no passing the buck, and no excuses.

If something breaks, they fix it. If a client needs more clarity, they provide it. And if a deadline’s in jeopardy, they flag it early with a plan—not just a problem.

Why This Matters to Clients

Clients notice. They’ll tell us things like:

“Your consultants feel like an extension of our team—not outsiders.”
“I didn’t have to ask for a fix. They already solved it.”
“I’ve worked with other firms, and the communication isn’t even close.”

These aren’t one-offs. They’re the byproduct of intentional hiring, culture, and development.

If you’re a leader who values not just talent—but talent with character—our consultants are ready.

We don’t just build software. We build trust.

standardSeptember 2Tom SalonekSmall Business

Why I Don’t Micromanage (And What I Watch Instead)

I used to think that being a good leader meant staying involved in every detail. Check-ins, reviews, updates, approvals—I was everywhere.

Eventually, I realized something:
Micromanagement doesn’t scale. Leadership does.

So I stopped hovering. I stopped inserting myself into every decision. And I started watching the right things instead.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Results > activity
I don’t care how many hours someone worked. I care about whether they delivered what they said they would.
Micromanagers obsess over inputs. Leaders track outcomes.

2. Trends > snapshots
Anyone can have a bad week. But over time, patterns emerge—positive or not.
I look at trendlines in client satisfaction, quality of deliverables, and internal collaboration. One-off issues don’t rattle me. Repeated ones get attention.

3. Questions > instructions
Instead of giving answers, I ask questions:

  • “Are you the right person for this goal or task?”
  • “What will you do?”
  • “What are your challenges?”
    This builds ownership, not dependency. People grow faster when they think, not just follow.

4. Accountability > control
Micromanagement feels like control. Leadership builds accountability.
We use daily huddles and short check-ins to stay aligned. People say what they’re doing—and then they do it. That rhythm replaces the need to chase people down.

5. Culture > compliance
If you need to micromanage, it’s often a hiring or culture issue.
The right people, in the right system, don’t need constant supervision. They thrive with trust and clarity.

I don’t micromanage because I don’t have to.
Our team runs on trust, visibility, and accountability—not control.
That’s more sustainable, more scalable, and—frankly—more enjoyable for everyone involved.

standardJune 3Tom SalonekLeadership

The Most Underrated Meeting on My Calendar

Most people dread meetings. I get it.
They’re often too long, poorly run, and end without anything getting done.

But there’s one meeting I’ve kept for over two decades—rain or shine, remote or in-person. It’s quick. It’s focused. And it’s the most underrated thing on my calendar:

Our daily huddle.

What it is (and isn’t):
It’s not a status meeting. It’s not a brainstorming session. And it definitely doesn’t involve PowerPoint.
Our huddle is 15 minutes, same time every day, built to keep everyone aligned, accountable, and connected.

Here’s how it works:
Each person quickly shares:

  1. Big updates from last 24 hours
  2. Stuck items where help is needed

That’s it. No tangents. No deep dives. If something needs more discussion, we take it offline. The goal is to keep things moving—and surface blockers fast.

Why it works:

  • It creates clarity. Everyone knows what’s happening and who’s doing what. No guessing.
  • It builds trust. When people show up and consistently do what they say, credibility grows.
  • It keeps teams connected. Especially in remote settings, that daily touchpoint is a glue.

What it’s replaced:
Longer, less frequent check-ins that often felt like overkill, or came too late.
With our huddle, we solve minor problems before they snowball or “slay monsters” while they are little. We stay nimble. And we never waste time wondering what’s going on.

Final thought:
Not every meeting is worth protecting. But this one is.
The daily huddle keeps our team focused, our projects on track, and our culture strong.

If you want more on how we run it (and how you can too), I break it down further on my website and in my book The 100: Building Blocks for Business Leadership.

standardMay 27Tom SalonekCommunication

What I’ve Learned About Trust from 30 Years of Consulting

In consulting, trust isn’t a buzzword—it’s the whole game.
You can have the best tech stack, the sharpest team, and the flashiest slide deck in the room… but if the client doesn’t trust you, none of it matters.

After over 30 years in the business, here’s what I’ve learned about how trust is built (and lost).

1. Trust is consistency over time
It’s not about one impressive meeting or a great kickoff call. It’s about showing up, following through, and doing what you said you’d do—over and over again.
Trust builds slowly and silently. Then, one broken promise can blow it up.

2. You earn it faster by telling the truth sooner
Bad news doesn’t get better with time. When something goes sideways—and it will—clients want honesty, not spin.
I’ve found that the faster we admit a misstep and share how we’re fixing it, the more credibility we build. It’s counterintuitive but true.

3. Being technically right isn’t always enough
You can win the argument and still lose the room.
Trust isn’t just intellectual—it’s emotional. Clients trust people who listen, who meet them where they are, and who understand their pressure (not just their project scope).

4. Trust is built between meetings, not just in them
It’s the quick update when nothing’s changed. The extra question that shows you’re thinking ahead. The quiet follow-up that signals, “We’ve got you.”
These moments don’t get logged in JIRA or tracked in a spreadsheet—but they’re noticed.

5. Trust is fragile—and portable
People remember how you made them feel. If you’ve built trust with a client, they’ll take you with them when they move companies. If you’ve burned it, same deal.
In this business, your reputation travels faster than you do.

The longer I’ve led teams and worked with clients, the more I’ve realized: we’re not just in the software business. We’re in the trust business.

And like anything worth building, it takes time, intention, and care.

standardMay 13Tom SalonekLeadership