🎥 Wednesday Leadership Breakdown: My First “Critical Conversation”
Today I’m sharing a video breaking down a real situation that happened this past Thursday with someone in my department. Names are irrelevant, so we’ll call him “Little Johnny.” 😅 Here’s what happened, briefly: • A simple Teams message about a dentist appointment • I’m new, still learning policies, PTO, ADP, etc • I asked him to come in earlier the next day (based on the text received - watch the video to understand) • Body language changed • My supervisor messaged me saying he was upset • I learned he should have put “PTO” properly • We both apologized and cleared the air What could’ve turned into assumptions, ego, or tension became a leadership moment. Instead of assuming I knew the answers, I chose curiosity. Instead of avoiding it, I addressed it. Instead of reacting, I observed behavior and asked better questions. We also touched on something important: Leadership eventually requires accountability. Not to control people, but to protect standards and create consistency, even when others are used to more flexibility. Funny enough, this is exactly what we’ve been covering inside Leadership Launchpad: accountability, clarity, and managing people without ego. These aren’t concepts; they show up in simple moments like this. There’s a lot inside this one. Watch the full video to really understand the dynamic, the message, and how it unfolded. Now I want to challenge you: • Is there a conversation you’ve been avoiding that needs to happen? • What did you think about how I handled the situation? • What would you have done differently in my position? Looking forward to hearing your perspectives 😎