July 27, 2021 5:41 am Published by

Observing greatness is one of my favorite ways to learn. 

I have the honor of working with teams and watching behavior. Having honed a few skills, patterns emerge with people, and it becomes easier to see signs of distress, anxiety, frustration, acceptance, disagreement and the subtleties we each display when in agreement and not. 

When a leader demonstrates genuine care, expresses appreciation, and then also gracefully dishes out straightforward feedback, it’s magic.  

I don’t mean offering platitudes in order to deliver the punch line, I’ve never been a fan of the sandwich approach. It’s a recipe for failure.  

I mean listening fully, acknowledging what’s being challenged, offering receptivity with the message and also being able to offer the feedback the listener may not want to hear.  

It’s magic when witnessed. Thank you Kathleen Shanahan of Turtle & Hughes for being an example of an intentionally great CEO. 

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