Welcome to Leadership Insights! Each week, we curate transformative leadership insights and add our own expertise to help you lead with purpose and impact. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or an emerging leader, you’ll find actionable wisdom in every edition.
Hi, welcome back. I’ve been sitting with something all week that I think you’ll recognize.
A client called me after a board meeting last month. He’d done something he’d never done before. He told his board he didn’t have the answer to a question they’d asked about their international expansion. He expected it to go badly. Instead, two board members stayed after to help him think it through. One offered a connection he’d been sitting on for months. The conversation went deeper in forty minutes than it had in the previous three quarterly meetings combined.
He’d spent two years performing certainty in that room. The first time he stopped, everything changed. Most leaders I work with think vulnerability is a risk they can’t afford. What they don’t realize is that certainty is the more expensive performance. It’s the one that keeps people from bringing you the problems early enough to actually solve them.
This Week’s Posts We Love
LinkedIn Spotlight by Evan Nierman
This week’s LI post from Evan Nierman is a reminder that when pressure rises, people aren’t listening for perfect talking points; they’re listening for ownership, steadiness, and trust. The words we choose behind closed doors shape culture long before they shape headlines. Which of these “strong leader” statements do you use consistently when it matters most?
Image- From LinkedIn Group
Click Here to Check Out The Full LI Post
Podcast Spotlight from The 7 Minute Leadership Podcast
This week’s podcast spotlight features one of my favorite quick leadership listens, 7 Minute Leadership Podcast—and the episode is all about The Feedback Flywheel: Turning Conversations Into Momentum. Paul Falavolito shares a practical framework for using everyday feedback to build accountability and long-term performance. It’s a great reminder that leadership momentum isn’t built in big speeches, but in consistent observation, direct conversations, and thoughtful follow-up. Take a listen and tell me—how intentional are you with your feedback rhythm?
Check Out the Full Episode Here
Recommended Resource
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey by Kenneth Blanchard, William Oncken Jr., and Hal Burrows
Why do leaders end up with everyone else’s problems on their desk? This book introduces the concept of “monkeys”—the tasks and decisions that people try to hand back to you. The framework is simple but powerful: every time someone brings you a problem, they’re trying to put their monkey on your back. Effective delegation means keeping the monkey where it belongs.
In my work with executives, I see this constantly: leaders who think they’re helping by solving problems are actually creating dependency. This book provides a practical system for delegating that develops capability rather than creating bottlenecks. It’s about ownership, not task-shifting.
Recommended Reading
“Giving and Receiving Feedback as Organizational Leaders” by Daniel Robotham, Carolyn Henzi Plaza, Susanna Windon, PhD
This article explores how effective feedback is essential to successful delegation and leadership development. Daskal outlines specific strategies for giving feedback that develops capability, receiving feedback that improves your own leadership, and creating a culture where feedback flows naturally in both directions.
The connection to delegation is direct: when you transfer ownership, you need feedback loops to ensure accountability and growth. This article provides practical techniques for making feedback a development tool rather than a performance critique, which is exactly what ownership delegation requires.
From the CARE to Lead® Archives
Facts vs. Opinions – How to Avoid Conflict in the Workplace
Ever walked into a meeting that quickly turned into a battle of opinions? This week’s archives post, Facts vs. Opinions – How to Avoid Conflict in the Workplace, is a timely reminder that one small shift in language can dramatically change the tone and outcome of our conversations. When we anchor discussions in data—while still valuing experience and perspective—we create clarity, trust, and better decisions. Give it a read and ask yourself: are your team’s conversations grounded in facts or fueled by opinions?
Closing Thoughts
The armor that got you to the C-suite might be the thing keeping you from leading once you’re there. The question isn’t whether you can afford to be honest. It’s whether you can afford not to be.
Want to go deeper? Executive coaching is a space where you can drop the armor completely. If you’re ready for that level of honesty and growth, let’s talk. Reply with “Coaching” and we’ll set up a time.
Thank you for being part of our leadership community. We’re dedicated to helping you lead with Clarity, Authenticity, Responsibility, and Engagement. Until next week, keep raising the bar on your leadership journey!
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