Two Things Trusted People Have. Most People Have One.
Jul 03, 2026 6:16 am
Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire
July 3, 2026
Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm.
Two Things Trusted People Have. Most People Have One.
Howdy ,
Legibility gets you back in the room.
Alignment gets you the call.
You need both.
A predictable person nobody needs is forgotten quietly.
A useful person nobody can predict is managed carefully, never fully trusted, and replaced the moment something calmer comes along.
Mourinho has both. Predictable failures, predictable strengths, and an unmistakable read on what a results-driven president needs from him.
Jobs, by 1997, had both. A known creative instinct, and a board that finally understood what his instincts were worth to their survival.
Run this two-part check on yourself this week.
Legibility: Could your boss describe your floor and your ceiling without guessing? Would they be surprised by your worst week? Your best week?
Alignment: Do you know, specifically, what your boss is being measured on? Does your best work move that number, or just orbit it?
If you are weak on legibility, the fix is consistency. Show the same standard often enough that guessing becomes unnecessary.
If you are weak on alignment, the fix is proximity. Get closer to what your boss actually reports upward, not just what they ask you for.
Most careers stall on one of these two. Rarely both. Find yours. Work it deliberately.
That is how good work becomes trusted work.
And trusted work is what gets remembered.
Sometimes even called back.
Keep winning at work and in life
Tola Akinsulire
Your Strategic Workplace Mentor