When Reliability Becomes a Risk
For leaders others rely on, often without realizing it: Part 2 in the Borrowed Stability series
Thinking more about “glue” leaders and borrowed stability, it’s worth asking: how do we spot invisible work before it becomes a hidden risk?
For emotionally intelligent leaders who serve as stabilizers, this work can run like an app in the background. It’s intuitive and easily taken for granted. When it works, people may not notice. But when it stops, the impact is immediate.
These stabilizers are often relational leaders who anticipate needs and fill gaps in processes. In both nonprofit and business contexts, they are adept at integrating formal systems and makeshift solutions—doing what it takes to keep teams and projects moving forward. Sometimes they solve the same problem multiple ways before finding the most acceptable fit for an evolving organizational system or fundraising strategy.
So what’s the risk?
The very skills that make stabilizers effective also make their contributions easy to overlook. Reliability and responsiveness are visible traits, but the effort behind them may go unrecognized. Stabilizers are left vulnerable to overextension and burnout as the organization remains unaware of systemic gaps these leaders are bridging.
Researchers have a name for this: organizational citizenship behavior. It’s engagement that isn’t formally required or recognized, yet enables the organization to function efficiently. When this work becomes the norm, borrowed stability can set in.
A side note here: I’m borrowing (yes) this term from finance, referring to how high levels of debt can create the appearance of stability while masking an underlying business risk—like a household living day to day on maxed-out credit cards.
Leadership provides stability in important ways. The concern arises when the system asks too much for too long. We can take a few practical steps to account for stabilizing work so that it doesn’t become unsustainable:
1. Observe patterns, not just outputs.
Look beyond deliverables. Notice who coordinates across teams, fills knowledge gaps, or prevents small issues from escalating. If you can’t see it, ask around. Which work keeps the system running but isn’t in a formal role—and who contributes to it?
2. Make the work visible.
Recognition doesn’t mean spotlighting or micromanaging. It means acknowledging contributions and exploring how systems can sustainably support stabilizers. Sense-making, creation, and execution each play different roles, and trouble starts when systems reward only what’s easiest to see.
3. Balance the load.
Encourage shared ownership by clarifying decision-making and developing processes that reduce dependence on any single person—while still honoring the judgment and relational intelligence stabilizers bring.
Borrowed stability is a reality of complex work. The key is seeing it clearly, naming it, and making thoughtful choices about how to steward both people and systems. When we do this well, we give people room to keep bringing their best—and we give our work a better chance of holding over time.
One question worth sitting with: when stability depends on invisible effort, what are we actually asking of our people—and for how long?
Source: Sarah Stepanek, MA, and Megan Paul, PhD, “Umbrella summary: Organizational citizenship behavior,” Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development, November 2, 2022.
Context Session
If you’d like to explore patterns, constraints, or options in your leadership context, I offer a brief, no-charge Context Session. This conversation provides a structured way to gain perspective and guide your decision-making.
Next in the Borrowed Stability series
This is so good. I need to sit and think on this more.