When you hear the word "leader," what comes to mind? That title can have countless meanings, but our team defines it uniquely.
A leader is someone who influences others.
Think about influence – the responsibility and the scope. It might be an executive driving a company or department toward ambitious goals and building strong cross-functional relationships. It could also be the team member navigating shifting scopes and deadlines with colleagues they don’t manage – but do have influence with. It could also be the caregiver negotiating with a rambunctious toddler or an independent-spirited, sharp-tongued pre-teen.
Influence happens everywhere. And that means, in some capacity, we’re all leaders.
At some point every leader must deliver unpopular news. No leader escapes this task, but few of us are trained in the art and science of it. As frequent recipients of unpopular news, we know it’s rarely done well, but unless we purposely train to do better, we’ll continue the trend.
You’ll notice that I didn’t say “bad news.” I’m deliberately using “unpopular” because the word “bad” has an emotional weight that’s entirely unnecessary. Often, we rattle ourselves by recalling dramatic reactions to bad news we’ve witnessed or experienced.
Let’s be clear. Navigating these conversations expertly has nothing to do with your ability to sugarcoat, appease, or dance around the hard part. It has everything to do with understanding how best to prepare, deliver, and reflect those unpopular bits of news. Let’s dig deeper into those three stages.
- Preparation: How to set yourself up for success.
- Discomfort: Understanding your emotional responses and how they impact others.
- Reflection: Why review and reflection are critical for growth.
