DAY 42 THRIVE
Good leadership is a hoax.
Empathy? Alignment? Accountability?
Cute. That's what people say right before they avoid hard conversations and call it "culture."
Welcome to Day 42 — where we teach you how to build a team that looks busy, feels miserable, and quits quietly.
This page is a spoof collaboration with TOP REP. The advice below is intentionally wrong.
Because some leaders treat people like equipment.
Day 41 is about thriving beyond the storm.
Day 42 is what happens when a leader confuses control with competence — and calls it "standards."
If any of this feels familiar… congrats. You've found the leadership potholes that wreck teams.
- "If you can't lead with trust, lead with fear."
- "If you can't build clarity, build confusion."
- "If you can't inspire, require overtime."
The Day 42 G.U.E.S.S. method: How to build a team that survives you.
GROW
"Growth is dangerous. People might get better than you."
- Promote whoever agrees with you — competence is optional.
- Replace coaching with sarcasm. It's faster.
- Call burnout "commitment."
- If someone wants development, assign them "more responsibility" with no authority.
If the team improves, they'll notice you're the bottleneck.
UNLEASH
"Unleash potential… by keeping everyone on a leash."
- Say "I trust you" then redo their work publicly.
- Treat questions like disrespect.
- Keep all decisions in your head — where plans go to die.
- Reward loyalty over results (especially if they laugh at your jokes).
Empowerment is just accountability without control… so, no.
ENHANCE
"Efficiency is suspicious. Add steps. Add pain."
- Turn every task into a meeting.
- Add approvals until nothing moves.
- Create 17 dashboards, check none of them.
- Confuse busyness with productivity.
If it runs smooth, you can't take credit for saving it.
STRATEGIZE
"Strategy = vibes + panic + last-minute heroics."
- Never define success. Keep it emotional.
- Measure nothing. Claim everything.
- Change priorities weekly and call it "agile."
- Blame the market, the team, the weather, Mercury, anything.
A plan creates accountability. Don't do that to yourself.
SYNCHRONIZE
"Alignment is overrated. Let them guess."
- Communicate half-truths, then accuse them of misunderstanding.
- Keep goals private so you can move them later.
- Reward politics: the loudest voice wins.
- Confuse "family culture" with guilt.
If everyone's aligned, you lose the power of confusion.
Alright… real talk.
If this page made you laugh and cringe, that's the point.
Bad leadership is rarely "evil." It's usually insecurity in a blazer.
Want the real framework that builds confident leaders and high-performing teams?
We'll help you stop guessing — and start leading.
FAQ
Is Day 42 Thrive real?
As real as "unlimited PTO" at a company that emails on Sunday.
Will this fix my culture?
It'll fix your awareness. The culture still needs actual leadership.
Is TOP REP in on this?
Yep. We're friends. They approved the chaos.
Where do I get real coaching?
Right here → Contact Us