Why Do Things Feel So Much Harder These Days? Leadership Development & Communication Could Be The Key
- Ashley Boaz
- Sep 10
- 6 min read
The Weight of Modern Business Life
If you’ve caught yourself saying, “Why does everything feel harder than it used to?” you’re not alone. Business owners, leaders, and employees across industries are echoing the same frustration. Despite living in a time with more tools, technology, and resources at our disposal than ever before, many people feel like progress has slowed, miscommunication is at an all-time high, and even small goals seem uphill.
At Mint Conceptions, our business coaches have heard this story countless times from leaders and entrepreneurs. The truth is, what once worked no longer guarantees success. The shift isn’t just about economics, inflation, or post-pandemic recovery — though those factors matter.
The deeper root lies in two powerful, yet often overlooked dynamics: a lack of human connection and poor communication.
These forces have created invisible barriers between where we are and where we want to be. Until leaders recognize and address them head-on, the road to “accomplished” will continue to feel like a grind.
On paper, we are more connected than ever before. With instant messaging, video conferencing, and collaboration apps, business should feel seamless. But appearances are deceiving. Technology has given us speed, but not depth. Quick pings and transactional updates have replaced meaningful dialogue, leading to shallow understanding of both people and problems.
Employees are hungry for more than emojis and emails. They want to feel seen, heard, and valued. When those needs aren’t met, disengagement rises, productivity falls, and frustration sets in. This explains why workplace surveys consistently show employees reporting feelings of isolation, even in large teams.
Why It Feels Harder
When humans lose authentic connection, everything takes longer. Collaboration slows down because team members aren’t aligned. Small misunderstandings escalate because there’s no foundation of trust. Energy levels drop because people feel like cogs in a machine, not contributors to a mission.
This deficit doesn’t just drain morale — it compounds into operational inefficiency. Leaders end up spending more time on conflict resolution, rework, and turnover than on strategy and growth.
Communication as the Silent Saboteur
Talking Without Understanding
Poor communication isn’t about lack of words — it’s about lack of clarity, alignment, and emotional intelligence. Many leaders operate under the assumption that if they’ve “said it once,” the message should stick. In reality, effective communication requires repetition, nuance, and adaptability to your audience.
Without it, organizations fall prey to confusion, mismatched expectations, and projects that stall before they ever get off the ground. Employees spend more time interpreting unclear directions than executing them. Leaders think they’ve delegated effectively, only to find the outcome completely misaligned.
The Ripple Effect
One unclear message can set off a chain reaction:
Delays because people wait for clarification.
Frustration because responsibilities weren’t fully understood.
Blame-shifting when results fall short.
Turnover when employees tire of operating in a fog.
When multiplied across a company, these small breakdowns create a culture where everything feels harder than it needs to be.
How Leadership Development Breaks the Cycle
The Missing Link
The struggles many businesses face today are not because leaders aren’t trying hard enough — it’s because they’re trying with outdated tools. The modern workplace requires leaders who can go beyond technical know-how and master the art of human connection and communication.
This is where leadership development becomes the bridge between “harder than ever” and “better than before.” Training leaders to be intentional communicators, empathetic listeners, and adaptive strategists creates ripple effects that can transform entire organizations.
Skills That Change the Game
Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Understanding what drives people and responding with empathy.
Clarity in Messaging: Delivering instructions and visions in ways that stick.
Active Listening: Creating space for employees to feel heard and valued.
Conflict Resolution: Addressing friction constructively rather than letting it fester.
Vision Casting: Inspiring people with a shared goal rather than dictating tasks.
When leaders develop these skills, the workplace dynamic shifts from resistant to collaborative. Projects move faster, morale improves, and “hard” suddenly becomes manageable.
The Role of a Business Coach
Why Leaders Can’t Go It Alone
Even the most seasoned executives struggle with blind spots. That’s why many turn to a business coach — not as a sign of weakness, but as a powerful strategy. Just like athletes rely on coaches to refine technique and build resilience, leaders need outside perspective to sharpen communication, uncover barriers, and hold them accountable to growth.
What a Business Coach Brings
Objective Insights: Identifying patterns you can’t see because you’re too close to the problem.
Proven Frameworks: Offering tested methods for improving connection and communication.
Accountability: Ensuring leaders follow through on commitments, not just intentions.
Tailored Solutions: Adapting strategies to fit your unique business culture and goals.
At Mint Conceptions, our coaching blends real-world executive experience with practical tools. We don’t just talk theory; we help leaders apply strategies that make communication clearer, culture stronger, and business growth sustainable.
Why the Struggle Is Magnified Now
Post-Pandemic Shifts
COVID-19 disrupted more than supply chains. It disrupted human rhythm. Overnight, the workplace became virtual, social interaction shrank, and communication patterns fractured. Many leaders never fully recalibrated. Remote and hybrid work have lingering effects on connection, leaving people to navigate fragmented cultures.
Inflation and Economic Pressure
When resources are stretched thin, stress rises. Leaders cut corners on communication, assuming “everyone knows what to do.” Employees, worried about job security, are less likely to speak up when confused. The pressure cooker of economics amplifies every misstep.
The Gig Economy Mindset
Employees today see work differently. Many are no longer tied to a single employer for the long haul. If they don’t feel connected or communicated with, they leave — often abruptly. This constant churn forces leaders to rebuild relationships and reestablish communication over and over again, adding to the sense of exhaustion.
Rebuilding the Bridge
Practical Steps Leaders Can Take
Reintroduce Human Touchpoints: Replace some emails with face-to-face (or camera-on) conversations. Don’t underestimate the power of presence.
Invest in Leadership Development: Equip your leaders with training in communication, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution.
Use Technology as a Tool, Not a Crutch: Keep digital efficiency but balance it with authentic dialogue.
Create Feedback Loops: Ask employees regularly if they feel connected and clear on expectations. Act on their input.
Work With a Business Coach: Gain outside perspective to guide sustainable cultural and operational shifts.
The Payoff
When leaders commit to rebuilding connection and improving communication, businesses see measurable benefits:
Faster project completion
Stronger employee retention
Higher morale and engagement
Clearer pathways to profitability
Greater adaptability to change
Suddenly, the “hard” things don’t vanish — but they stop feeling insurmountable.
The Mint Conceptions Perspective
At Mint Conceptions, we believe business health is about more than spreadsheets and metrics. It’s about people. Without genuine connection and clear communication, no amount of strategy will fully succeed.
That’s why we center our business consulting and business coaching around both profitability and people. Through leadership development, we help executives strengthen their ability to connect, communicate, and inspire. As a business coach, we partner with leaders to turn obstacles into opportunities and build organizations that are not only profitable but also deeply human.
From Harder to Healthier
Yes, things feel harder these days. But harder doesn’t mean hopeless. The barriers you face are not immovable walls — they’re signals pointing to what needs attention: connection and communication.
Leaders who embrace this reality, invest in leadership development, and work with the right business coach can transform their organizations from fragmented to focused, from exhausted to energized.
The world has changed, and so must our approach to leadership. The question isn’t whether it’s harder now — the question is whether we’ll rise to the challenge with new skills, new strategies, and renewed commitment to the people who make our businesses possible.
At Mint Conceptions, our business coaches are ready to walk that journey with you. Together, we can turn today’s struggles into tomorrow’s successes.
Ready to take your leadership development to the next level and see where your business stands in this new landscape? Take Mint Conceptions FREE Red Flag Report Card and discover where small shifts could unlock major growth.
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