Lori Muller, president of Fathom Realty, writes that production activities may keep a business afloat, but working with the right leadership will determine how far a company can grow and whether that growth will continue.
At some point in your career in real estate, you’ll feel it. It’s not in your numbers. Not in the pipeline.
For your adjustment.
Participate in the INMAN Intel Index Survey
And ignoring it for too long will cost you more than the fees. It takes energy. Clarity. peace.
Because all the big turning points in my career weren’t all about breakups and branding. It was about leadership. My leadership and our leadership and whether we were building under the ceiling or building with a shared vision and purpose.
When your vision goes beyond the room
Early in my career, I worked at an independent brokerage firm. As I was growing, creating, and learning, I wanted to build a team. The answer was no. The team was not part of the model.
On the surface, it seems like it’s working. But what it did reveal was a leadership philosophy. Some environments are designed to protect what you already have. Some are designed to expand your possibilities.
I wasn’t trying to sabotage anything. I just wanted to build something with other people. So I took action. It’s not about money. It’s not about status. For alignment.
That decision changed my trajectory.
You can succeed in many environments, but growth accelerates when leadership supports expansion.
Production in the attic
A few years later, I was leading a high-performing, highly productive team. From the outside, everything looked strong. Something began to change from within.
Because success doesn’t automatically equal adjustment. “I” leadership does not always come out loud. Sometimes it’s subtle.
Decisions are made centrally. Opportunities feel limited. There are limits to growth, even if they are implicit.
Over time, you begin to realize that while your business is moving forward, it may not yet have the ability to fully scale.
That’s when I realized something important. That means I’m not out of step with the market. I didn’t fit into the leadership culture. And when leadership leans toward controlling rather than contributing, it can feel like there is a limit to growth. The ceiling isn’t always obvious until you outgrow the space you’re in.
Be the leader I needed
This realization led me to become a franchisee and launch a new brand in my state. Not because I wanted control, but because I wanted to build something rooted in shared leadership.
“I” leaders often build organizations around themselves. “We” leaders build organizations around people and purpose.
That difference changes everything.
“Our” leadership looks like this:
Shared Credit Transparency Mentorship Cooperation over Competition
That begs another question. How can we grow this together?
When leadership operates from a place, ownership replaces compliance. Support replaces pressure. Growth will be sustainable. And leaders are not created only at the top, but are developed throughout the organization.
When misalignment becomes personal
Later in my career, I took on another leadership role that I deeply believed in. But as time passed, that nostalgic change was felt again. It’s not a conflict. It’s not chaos. Just weight.
If you’ve ever experienced leadership mismatch, you know it.
Your voice will be heard, but not fully appreciated. I feel that the direction is not very cooperative. The path forward seems less clear.
And gradually it becomes less professional. It becomes personal.
Real estate is about relationships. It’s emotional. It’s identity-driven. When leadership doesn’t align with your values, it affects your energy. And when your energy shifts, your clients feel it too.
So I selected alignment again. I built my brand. my own message. My own platform.
Not out of ego. From clarity.
Every twist and turn in my career followed the same pattern. Misalignment was followed by an invitation to deeper alignment.
Leadership questions that will define your career
If your growth is being limited by the need for someone to be at the center, it may simply be time to move into a different environment.
“I” leadership creates followers. Our leadership develops leaders. “I” leadership creates dependence. “We” leadership creates capability.
Your career will grow best in spaces where leadership is committed to developing people as well as managing production. Agents are increasingly asking for it.
They’re not just asking about division. They ask:
Who will help me grow? Who will expand me? Who will build with me?
Because a securities company is not just a platform. It’s a leadership decision. And leadership shapes the trajectory.
Adjustments are not a luxury in this business. It’s essential. When it weakens, you feel it everywhere. And each time a misalignment appears, it is an invitation to reflect, choose intentionally, and build with purpose.
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do in your career isn’t chasing an opportunity. It moves away from misalignment.
Throughout this month, we are focusing on ‘New Mediation Strategies’. How securities companies operate in 2026 will be no different than before. From corporate giants to finicky indies, we map the new playing field and talk to brokerage leaders across the country about what’s working now and what’s next.
