When you make a mistake as a leader you take your whole team with you. No matter how bad the crisis, your TEAM must be your first priority. Give your team what they need to feel safe and they will move mountains. Here are 4 things you can do for your team when dealing with a crisis. 1) Take the blame. Do not allow others to be blamed. In some cases, do not make known the person who made the mistake to ensure they were safe. And if the error was due to one person (or a small group), make it very clear that you do not blame them and that you want them to stay with the team. Leaders, if you need to, skip over levels in between to personally reassure the person. 2) Realize that whoever was involved in the problem feels bad. You do not need to tell any good performer they fell short. They have already told themselves this much more harshly. You have to show them the path to growth and success from where they are. 3) See crises and problems as learning and growth, not personal flaws. 4) Separate fixing the problem from the later process of figuring out why it happened. As the leader, closely look for (a) Was the error accidental, negligent, or nearly willful (intentional)? (b) What systems were in place to avoid relying on human diligence (which will always fail in the end)? As a leader, your team is your only vehicle to get things done. Protect them and help them grow. Readers — what have you done to care for your team during a crisis? For more career and leadership guidance, check out our free newsletter: https://buff.ly/3Q9UHPd
Communication
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Recently I had a candidate follow-up with me three times in one day about next steps for a role. Here’s what I said after it happened: “Thanks for the reminder and I appreciate you following up!” Now, context. The candidate was supposed to receive an update that day for next steps. For a lot of unforeseen reasons, there were delays. They checked-in in the morning and I mentioned we’d have an update later that day. Then, more delays. The candidate checked in during the afternoon and we had made progress, but still didn’t have all the info they needed. I said for sure by end of day. At 4:45pm the candidate asked one more time if there was any progress. I had just received the final update and was happy to share! A few lessons: —Most recruiters don’t mind reminders when there’s a set expectation! It can help everyone stay on track. —The candidate was pleasant, kind, and helpful when reaching out. Emotional intelligence is key. —Sometimes there are delays and while we all can’t control the process, we can control how we respond. Recruiting is a two-way street. Job-seeking is a two-way street. Both ways, it’s people working together 🙃
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The way you communicate impacts everything from team morale to customer loyalty. Here's how to use positive language to get the best results and what I learned by messing up a few times 👇 Boost Collaboration and Morale: ◾️ Instead of "You need to fix this," try "How can I help you improve it?" - Replace negativity with appreciation. ◾️ Replace "you need to..." with "What do you think?" - Empower your team. Increase Engagement and Productivity: ◾️ Instead of "that won't work," try "Let's brainstorm some solutions together." - Focus on solutions. ◾️ Replace "you need to get this done" with "How can I help?" or "You have my full attention." - Show your support. These are ‘Positive Phrases’ I wish my leaders used more often, but in reality, the higher up you go, the less positive feedback you get. No news is good news essentially! But if you can, use these more often: 👉 "Thank you" & "This was great!" 👉 "What do you think?" & "I value your feedback" 👉 "What could I have done better?" 👉 "You have my full attention" & "What can I do to help you?" Some people can do this naturally as natural empaths, I on the other hand had to learn this because the leadership regime I grew up in was very much COMMAND & CONTROL. It was top down, results focused only, and belittling was par for the course to rise through the ranks. So my leadership, mentorship, and influence was different than the great leaders of today who lead ‘side by side’ versus top down. So the pivot in language took time, but as I got better, I saw better results. By incorporating these phrases into your daily interactions, you can create a more engaged, productive, and positive work environment. #leadership #communication #positivity P.S. What are some other positive phrases you find effective? Share your thoughts in the comments!*
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One of my former counselors, Carolyn, spent time in an addiction trauma unit early in her career... She learned that when a situation is chaotic, it is important to slow down, slow way down. There is so much wisdom in that. I still remember Carolyn sharing that the unit tended to feed off frenzy. When one patient was having a problem or incident, it would often cause others anxiety, and within a few minutes, the entire unit would be in chaos. She told me that in moments like that, it is so critical to not feed off the energy around you and to slow down to at least half speed, or else life-altering mistakes can happen. She shared that one night, they were short-staffed, and a patient was having a severe episode while a new patient was going through intake. They wanted Carolyn to rush the intake process to assist, but something in her told her to slow down, and she redid the intake process twice. She found a knife hidden in the new patient's luggage — something she missed on the first spot check. Her advice is essential for all of us. In workplaces, we tend to think of all crises as urgent and important. If our boss is upset because a client or an executive is annoyed, the whole team can be in a frenzy. As a team leader or member, it is important to be responsive but also keep your cool and check everything twice. Mistakes are more likely to happen when the situation is volatile or stressful. Being able to stay calm in a crisis is such an important skill. #leadership #leaders #workplace
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Most people don’t send thank you notes after an interview. They spend more time trying to give clever answers than getting to know the interviewer. And barely take any notes during the interview, so they tend to forget the conversation. But I know folks who’ve had tremendous success after sending thank you notes. They send all notes within 24 hours after the interview. And typically hear back from the recruiter or hiring manager quickly. Here’s why you should send a thank you note: ⭐ It shows your people skills and professionalism ⭐ It helps you stand out from the crowd ⭐ It leaves a positive first impression I sent this exact thank you note back in 2017 and landed my dream job at one of the largest tech companies in the world. To land this role—I did 6 interviews and needed majority approval. I sent 6 thank you notes, got a unanimous YES, and secured the last spot in that start class. Here’s a breakdown of this note: 🔴 Address the email to the person who interviewed you and make sure you spell their name correctly 🟡 Thank the person for their time and consideration 🟠 Briefly highlight why you want to work at their company 🔵 Call out an aspect of the conversation that was particularly interesting or share a helpful hook to help them remember what you spoke about 🟢 Express your continued interest in the job opportunity I recommend sending a thank you note within 24 hours after every interview. Please reshare this breakdown so others have a better shot at landing a great role ♻ #interviews #hiring #recruiting #jobhunt #thankyou
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“You don’t have to respond right now.” That’s one of the best nuggets of advice anyone ever shared with me. Here’s the context: I used to go into full-blown I-must-respond-and-fix-this-immediately mode when I got negative feedback. I didn’t give myself time to take a breath. For example, when an article was rejected by a journal, I immediately dug into the negative reviews and tried to address and fix everything. But I wasn’t in the right mindset to do that — I was doing it while feeling powerless, rejected, frustrated, disappointed in myself, stressed. And responding from the state almost always backfired. In most cases, we don’t HAVE to respond right away. We can take a beat — a day, a few days, maybe even a week. (Sometimes we don’t have to respond at all!) Slowing down — not responding right away — allows us to restore of sense of personal power. And that gives us clarity, calm, focus. A runaway train will keep moving until a force is imposed to stop it. To stop the runaway train in my mind, I needed power. Second, sometimes doing nothing is doing something. Doing nothing remind us that we do have some power to slow down the runaway train. Doing nothing allows us to regulate our emotional state. And doing nothing now increases the chance that what we do later will be thoughtful, effective, respectful. Next time you get negative feedback, slow down. Don’t respond. Give yourself the time you need to respond in a way that you feel good about. #selflove #selfcare #selfawareness #psychology #feedback #occasionalaffirmationswithamycuddy
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Let me fix your 1:1 meetings in 90 seconds. It only requires two changes: - Make it their meeting, not yours - Ask questions, don't give directions Here's how to do it: 1. Make It Their Meeting Relinquishing ownership of this meeting is the same as delegating any other work. - Define what excellent looks like - Hold them accountable - Coach to success - Don't step in But how do I get what I need to lead? That's part 2... 2. Good Questions >> Great Directions The easiest way to align on expectations is to preview the questions you want them to answer. If they can answer these well, you can have confidence that they are excellently managing their area (even individual contributors). Here are mine: ✅ How are you doing? Want people to produce outsized results? You need to care personally. You'll only know when to show up for them if you know them well. Get a tepid response? Ask again. ✅ What's most important for us to focus on? If it is their meeting, they set the agenda. Not only are you empowering them, but you also get to learn how they think. This will help you anticipate what they might miss. ✅ How are you tracking against your goals? I want data. Clear metrics. The more tangible, the better. If the goal isn't easily measured, then I want a few qualitative angles that are in tension to surface the truth. Don't be afraid to ask, "What is your confidence?" ✅ Are there notable Wins/Losses to discuss? The specific Win or Loss doesn't matter to me as much as: a) Can they separate big from small? b) Are they proactively sharing? My probing questions should uncover very little. ✅ What problems are you focused on solving? I don't expect perfection if we're driving hard and creating value. Instead, I want them to have command of their area. - Do they know the problems? - Do the solutions make sense? - Are they making good progress? ✅ How are your people doing? Your people are only as good as those that support them. Even individual contributors rely on others. Help them practice sizing up those around them. Make empathy a habit. ✅ How are you getting better? When your team is filled with curious and compounding professionals, the result is a team that's agile and resilient. To get there, you must coach those who coach others. ✅ How can I support your success? Hopefully, you've done this throughout the conversation, but it never hurts to ask them directly, "What else do you need to win?" - Remove obstacles. - Provide resources. - Repeat often. If you want access to the management dashboard template I used to delegate my 1:1 meetings, subscribe to my MGMT Playbook for free access. https://lnkd.in/eAA-CJrJ You get dozens of playbooks and templates for critical management moments. It's the advice your boss should be giving you but probably isn't. P.S. Repost to share this with your network ♻️. And follow Dave Kline for more great posts.
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Most relationships don’t die from conflict. They die from lack of context. We all know this truth: The quality of your life is deeply tied to the quality of your relationships. But here’s something we don’t talk about enough: The speed with which we build trust in those relationships can be a game-changing advantage. And the not-so-secret key to speeding up trust? Context. When I’ve taken the time to offer context—about what I’m feeling, why I’m acting a certain way, or where I’m coming from—relationships have almost always deepened. When I haven’t? They’ve often faded. Or worse, broken. And it usually happens slowly. Two people talk every day. But over time, the conversations flatten. Not because they care less, but because they stopped sharing context. And when that context fades, connection quietly disappears too. No matter what kind of relationship—friendship, work, family, romantic—when context is missing, connection starts to wither. And when context is shared, even simple moments turn meaningful. Let me show you what I mean. ⸻ Conversation A Alex: Hey, how’s it going? Jordan: All good. You? Alex: Can’t complain. They smile. Maybe chat a bit. But nothing meaningful gets exchanged. It’s polite. Safe. And very forgettable. If this becomes a repeated pattern, the relationship starts to erode. Not because of malice. But because of a lack of shared context. Now flip it. ⸻ Conversation B Alex: Hey, how’s it going? Jordan: Honestly? I’m okay, but a little off today. Alex: Oh? Say more! Jordan: I’ve been juggling too much. Work’s fine, but I feel like I’m constantly reacting instead of thinking deeply. It’s starting to wear on me. Alex: I know exactly what you mean—I felt that way for weeks. Want me to share what helped? … That tiny bit of vulnerability changed everything. The conversation didn’t just pass time. It built trust. It added context. And it strengthened connection. It gave the other person a texture of what you are thinking and feeling. ⸻ We often hold back from sharing what we’re really feeling because we assume it’s “too much” or “too boring.” We say to ourselves, why would that even be interesting to the other person. They are going through so much. But here’s the thing: You’re not oversharing. You’re not burdening them. You’re letting someone in. You’re giving them a map of your life. A deeper understanding. A chance to really know you. If someone cares about you—and wants to build something real with you—context isn’t noise. It’s essential nourishment. One conversation with context might be interesting. But 50 conversations with context? That’s how trust and familiarity is built to create a strong bond. That’s how teams click. That’s how friendships last. So remember this: Don’t deprive people of context. You’re not just talking about your day. You’re building something that will enrich both your lives. Set context. It matters. And it’s one of the most generous—and underrated—gifts we can give each other.
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Building a relationship > Blindly networking Quality is always better than quantity while networking. And how do you focus on quality? ✨ - Carefully pick the people you reach out to. - When they add you to your network, follow up with them. - Introduce yourself. Share how they can add value to your career. - Be very specific on what topic you need help on. - When you ask, think of the things you can give to them. - If you’re scheduling a call, set a clear agenda for the call. - After the call, make sure you send a thank you message. - Follow up every 3-6 months with updates. And, do you know how you can stand out? Give before you ask! 💡 When I was meeting a Senior PM who also happened to be content creator, I offered to design her LinkedIn banner. She did not expect this and I bet she still remembers me. 💡 One of the Group PMs I was meeting was starting out with content on Youtube so when we met we talked about product management but when he asked about content creation - I shared my content creation experience with him. Most of the times we think we won’t be able to add value to someone senior to us. But all of us have unique capabilities that can add value to others. So focus on adding 10 people to you network who will vouch for you uncountable times instead of 100 people who will not add any value. Hope this helps! In the next post, let’s talk about things to do on a networking call. #career #students #networking #linkedin
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Avoiding tough talks is a direct path to losing team trust. Here's how top leaders handle conflict: 1/ The Real Problem → Leaders stall, hoping conflict resolves itself → Feedback gets softened until it’s meaningless → The issue festers, and performance suffers 2/ Why It Matters → Projects halt because no one says what needs to be said → The wrong people stay in the room, the right ones leave → Culture declines and misalignment becomes the norm 3/ The CLEAR Framework → Cut the Fluff: Skip the warm-up and get to the point → Label the Behavior: Focus on actions, not identity → Explain the Impact: Make it real, why does it matter? → Ask for Alignment: Invite a response, not a lecture → Recommit or Redirect: Don’t end vague, end with clarity 4/ What Happens Next → Tension goes down, not up → People feel respected, not ambushed → Projects move forward, with trust, not silence 5/ Why You Need This → Leading isn’t about avoiding discomfort → It’s about creating clarity when others won’t → This framework gives you the words to do it right ♻️ Repost and follow Justin Bateh for more