In this episode (and the accompanying Substack essay), we explore one of the strangest and most emotionally complicated workplace truths: sometimes the people are amazing… and the place is not.

I dig into the tension of working alongside talented, kind, mission-driven colleagues inside systems that are dysfunctional, stagnant, or misaligned with your values. We talk about why it’s so easy to confuse great coworkers with a great workplace, how long-term relationships can mask structural problems, and why leaving good people can feel harder than leaving bad circumstances.

What you’ll hear about:

* Why amazing colleagues can make even the worst environments feel tolerable

* How loyalty to coworkers can unintentionally trap you in a place that’s no longer good for you

* The emotional “mirage effect” where people trick you into believing the workplace is healthier than it is

* The rare but real opposite: great workplace, not-so-great colleagues

* The moment when you realize you care more about the place than it can ever care about you

* How to know when it’s time to separate your love for the people from the reality of the organization

This one is honest, human, and a little tender — because so many of us have been there, carrying gratitude for the people while wrestling with the hard truth about the place.

Key takeaway:Good people can make a bad place bearable, but they can’t make it healthy. And sometimes the bravest thing you can do — for yourself and for them — is to build something better somewhere else.

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