The Saboteur Speaks in Your Voice

"It is truly a valuable lesson not to let the illusion of being in control run your life."

Nicole wrote that in an Amazon review of The Saboteur at Work. She also called it "a powerful reminder that we are all part of systems that we are often blind to."

This isn't a book about bad people doing stupid things. I wrote it because I kept seeing decent, capable people trip themselves up. They lose their temper over something small. They talk themselves out of an opportunity. They feel like a fraud despite years of evidence that they are not. They mistake anxiety for instinct. Then they do it again and wonder why.

I call this the saboteur.

It is the part of us that acts before we have had time to think. The part that says, "Don't risk it", "You're going to be found out", or "You have to control this or something terrible will happen."

This isn't just an individual issue; it also happens in teams and organisations.

Nicole had picked up the thing I most wanted to say. We are not as free or as rational as we like to believe. Once you can see the saboteur, you have a better chance of managing it.

Thank you, Nicole, for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review.

The saboteur is rarely the person sitting opposite you. Most of the time, it speaks in your own voice.