Koon, Executive Coach’s Post

The Real Leadership Tightrope: Balancing Empathy and Firmness . . Ever notice how balancing empathy and firmness in leadership can feel like walking a tightrope, only without a net? One wrong step, and you're either too soft or too tough. And let’s be honest, no one wants to be known as the “pushover boss” or the “drill sergeant”! The truth is that the best leaders know when to bring empathy into the room and when to draw a firm line. The trick is understanding when each is needed and avoiding behaviors that reflect a lack of emotional intelligence. Stuck in a dilemma? Ask yourself: “Am I clear on the specific expectations and boundaries here?” “Is this situation a case where understanding their perspective will drive better results—or do I need to take a firm stance to keep things on track?” “How can I acknowledge my team’s challenges without lowering the bar?” Be careful, though. Here’s what happens when emotional intelligence is missing: - Ignoring feedback: Brushing off concerns as “excuses” instead of valid input. - Being overly reactive: Responding with frustration or impatience rather than seeking understanding. - Setting unclear standards: Expecting results without properly explaining expectations. - Prioritizing control over connection: Overlooking the importance of building trust and rapport. Empathy isn’t about coddling. It’s about understanding without compromising. A good leader listens with genuine curiosity, validating concerns without sidestepping accountability. But here’s the magic—effective leadership demands firmness too. Clarity in boundaries and expectations keeps your team focused, respected, and reliable. So yes, understand where they’re coming from, but don’t hesitate to set standards. Remember, leadership isn’t an either/or game. It’s a blend. You’re not here to babysit, nor are you here to be a robot. Find that balance, own it, and lead with both compassion and clarity. After all, a leader who can hold space for both empathy and firmness? That’s the kind of leader people remember—and respect. #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence #Empathy #Firmness

How Many Bosses Overestimate Their Competence, and What Does It Mean? Have you ever worked for someone who seemed completely confident in their abilities, yet the results painted a different picture? Maybe they strutted into meetings with grand plans, but when the dust settled, their vision was… less than inspiring. You know the type—the ones who delegate everything but take credit for the wins, or worse, don’t even realize the team is cleaning up their messes behind the scenes. So, what does it mean when a leader overestimates their competence? For starters, it’s a breeding ground for inefficiency. Overconfident bosses rarely seek feedback—they already know what’s best, right? This leaves their teams stuck implementing half-baked ideas, afraid to speak up, while morale quietly nosedives. Here’s the kicker: most of these bosses don’t realize they’re the problem. The confidence that blinds them also shields them from accountability. They don’t see the talent slipping out the door or the creativity stifled by micromanagement or neglect. But let’s not just point fingers. This is also a wake-up call for self-reflection. How often do we pause to ask, “Am I as good at this as I think I am?” True competence comes with humility—the ability to admit gaps, seek input, and give credit where it’s due. Great leaders aren’t afraid to say, “I don’t know” or “Teach me.” They surround themselves with people smarter than they are and empower those people to shine. They don’t see admitting weakness as a threat but as an opportunity to grow. So, take a moment to reflect: Are you leading with self-awareness, or might you be overestimating your own competence? And if you recognize this pattern in others, are you willing to have that tough conversation or lead by example? Because overconfidence in leadership isn’t just a personal blind spot—it’s a ripple effect that touches every part of the team and business. The real question is, what are we doing about it? #LeadershipSelfAwareness

7 mistakes every leader can make, and what to do instead. Do you think you’re giving your best as a leader? Take a pulse with the list below. I’ve seen countless leaders make the same mistakes time and time again (zero judgment, we are all learning). From micromanaging to avoiding tough talks, these missteps can derail even the best-intentioned leader. Let’s take a look: 1- Micromanaging: It can be so tempting to try and control everything, but trust and empower your team. ↳ Delegate tasks set clear expectations, and let your team shine. 2- Avoid tough conversations: Ignoring problems (and sticking your head in the sand) won’t make them disappear. ↳ Address issues quickly, be prepared and to the point, and focus on solutions (not the person). 3- Not listening: Everyone wants to be seen, heard and understood. ↳ Be present, ask open-ended questions, and show genuine interest in what others have to say. 4- Playing favourites: This can be touchy, but fairness is key. ↳ Treat everyone with respect, provide equal opportunities, and recognize achievements across the board. 5- Burning out: Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish (yep I said it) ↳ Get clear about your role and responsibilities, set boundaries, prioritize self-care, and delegate when needed. (put your oxygen mask on first) 6- Fear of failure: Mistakes happen. There is no such thing as failure (only feedback). ↳ Embrace challenges, learn from setbacks, and encourage a culture of experimentation and curiosity. 7- Ignoring diversity and inclusion: A strong team reflects the world around us. ↳ Create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected, and ideas and solutions are diversified by the collective experience. What other mistakes have you seen? Share your thoughts! #leadership #mistakes #teammanagement

Useful leadership tips

The One Leadership Skill You Should be Practicing… What is Radical Candor? Radical Candor, coined by Kim Scott, is a management philosophy emphasizing the importance of caring personally about someone while having enough trust to challenge directly. It's about building trusting relationships through honest feedback delivered with empathy and respect. Why It Matters In environments where feedback is either sugarcoated or withheld, growth stagnates. Radical Candor breaks this cycle by promoting open, honest communication. When leaders practice Radical Candor: ☑ Teams thrive: Honest feedback helps team members grow and improve. ☑ Trust builds: Employees feel valued and respected when they know their leaders care. ☑ Engagement increases: Transparency fosters a culture of accountability and motivation. Practice Radical Candor ☑ Create a Safe Environment: Encourage your team to speak up. Make it clear that their input is valued. ☑ Care Personally: Show genuine interest in your team's well-being. Build relationships based on trust and empathy. ☑ Challenge Directly: Provide clear, constructive feedback. Address issues head-on but with kindness. ☑ Lead by Example: Model the behavior you want to see. Be open to receiving feedback as well. ☑ Follow-up: Ensure feedback leads to actionable changes. Check-in regularly to discuss progress. Real-World Application Let’s say you notice a team member missing deadlines. Instead of avoiding the topic or being overly critical, you might say: "Hey, I noticed you have been struggling to meet deadlines recently. I know you are capable of great work, and I want to understand if there's something we can adjust to help you manage your workload better. Your contributions are important, and I’m here to support you." This approach shows you care about their success and are willing to help while also addressing the issue head on. Have you tried practicing Radical Candor? Share your experiences or tips below!👇 ♻️ Repost this in your network if you found it helpful. #LeadershipDevelopment #RadicalCandor #TeamDevelopment #Coaching

Turning Criticism into a Catalyst for Success In my journey as a leader, one of the most transformative lessons I've learned is the importance of embracing criticism. Early on, I believed that having a strong vision and executing it was all that mattered. However, I soon realized that leadership is also about listening to others and being open to different perspectives. For example, there was a time when I was deeply focused on driving results, pushing my team hard to meet deadlines. I received feedback from a trusted colleague that my approach was creating unnecessary stress and impacting team morale. At first, it was difficult to hear that my well-intentioned drive for excellence was actually causing burnout. But rather than dismissing the feedback, I decided to take a closer look. I adjusted my approach by balancing my expectations with a greater focus on my team’s well-being. I started encouraging more breaks, fostering open communication about workloads, and recognizing the importance of maintaining a positive work-life balance. The results were remarkable—the team became more engaged, and productivity improved without the added pressure. This experience taught me that leadership is not just about pushing forward; it's also about pausing, reflecting, and being willing to change course when needed. Embracing feedback with humility not only helps us grow as leaders but also creates an environment where our teams can thrive. Let’s remember, leadership is about progress, not perfection. The ability to listen, learn, and adapt is what truly defines effective leadership.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨—𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘰? 𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨: For a motivating and productive team environment, it’s crucial for leaders at all levels to master the art of providing constructive criticism, sincere advice, and thoughtful guidance. 🤝 Open discussions are key, but they must not come across as hidden aggression—nor should they be. This is essential for all employees, but especially for those in leadership roles. 🧠 🔑 The real challenge: ensuring that your feedback is perceived as beneficial rather than as a disguised expression of frustration or dissatisfaction. You can insist all you want that you’re not blaming anyone, but if your message carries a tone of pressure or displeasure, your colleague may tune you out, feeling irritated and demotivated. They might follow your advice, but the negative impact on the company will surface in the long run as the individual loses part of their autonomy and responsibility. 𝙎𝙤, 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨? 👉 Take a genuine interest in your colleagues—understand what’s happening in their lives and professional spheres. Engage with your team because, for a leader, genuine connection is one of your main tools. This is what true leadership is about. 🌱 Such an approach earns you the right to offer constructive criticism and advice. Only by sincerely caring about your people do you enter that circle of trust where your guidance is potentially acceptable and likely to be heeded. A leadership position or a title in the corporate hierarchy means nothing if you want to give advice or critique without showing authentic interest in your team. If you want the ability to guide and advise your employees, start by listening to them. 🎧 ❓❓❓𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮? #Leadership #Feedback #Management #TeamBuilding #ConstructiveCriticism #EmployeeEngagement #CommunicationSkills #ProfessionalDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #ExecutiveLeadership

#Assertiveness is a critical skill for effective #leadership, allowing leaders to communicate their needs, desires, and decisions clearly and confidently. However, knowing when to be #assertive and when to adopt a more passive role is essential for balancing #authority with #empathy and collaboration. A #leader should use #assertiveness in situations where clear direction and decisive action are needed. This includes moments of #crisis or #conflict when the team requires firm guidance to navigate challenges. #Assertiveness is also vital when setting boundaries, ensuring that expectations and standards are maintained, and when advocating for the team's needs and resources to upper #management. It helps in driving #initiatives forward, making tough decisions, and inspiring confidence among team members. On the other hand, a #leader must adopt a #passive or receptive role in situations that require listening, #empathy, and #collaboration. When team members are #brainstorming or discussing new ideas, a passive approach allows #creativity to flourish and ensures that all voices are heard. Similarly, during one-on-one conversations, especially those involving feedback or personal issues, a more passive stance helps build trust and rapport. This approach is also crucial when dealing with highly skilled team members who thrive with autonomy, as it empowers them and fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility. The ability to switch between #assertiveness and #passivity is what makes a #leader #adaptable and #effective. It ensures that they are not perceived as overbearing or detached but as balanced and responsive to the needs of their team and the demands of the situation. Assertiveness should be used to steer the team towards goals, uphold standards, and make critical decisions, while passivity should be employed to nurture relationships, encourage input, and support a collaborative environment. In essence, the art of leadership lies in recognizing when to assert control and when to step back, creating a dynamic and harmonious workplace where both the leader and the team can thrive. #Leadership #Assertiveness #Empathy #EffectiveCommunication

DISCRETION AND DISCIPLINE Have you ever said the wrong thing, at the wrong time, to the wrong person? Sometimes it’s something offensive that undermines a key relationship and ability to execute. Sometimes it’s an over-enthusiastic sharing of a new strategy or change that throws off alignment and productivity. Or maybe it’s something that kills a deal. Either way, performance suffers and culture stagnates. The Discretion and Discipline tool helps you avoid these unnecessary issues because it gives you a filter to be intentional about what you say, when you say it, and to whom you say it. When you are intentional to consider these things you put them first. This is especially important for leaders with positional authority because your ideas and what you say are more powerful than you think. The more authority you have, the more people assume you wouldn’t say something unless you were committing to do it. So let’s get intentional with this tool. “What to share” relates to the content you share with people, including what needs to be communicated and how much is beneficial. “Who to share it with” relates to the people that need to know it - this should take their role and responsibilities into consideration. “When to share” relates to the timing - people should receive what they need to know but is now the right time? Clarity and confidence in the leader’s message is necessary for a strong team. But if you demonstrate a poor use of Discipline and Discretion, then it can undermine your authority with them as much as anything else you could do. So be intentional. And use the filters of who, what, and when to help you communicate with your team in a productive way. #leadershipdevelopment #coaching #selfawareness #discretion #discipline #knowyourselftoleadyourself

Don't mistake silence for kindness: True leadership requires honest feedback As Team Leaders/Managers, our primary responsibility is to help our teams grow and succeed. While maintaining a positive work environment is crucial, it shouldn't come at the expense of addressing issues and providing constructive criticism. - Speak up when you see something wrong: Your silence can be interpreted as approval or indifference. By addressing problems promptly, you show that you're invested in the team's success. - Deliver critical feedback: The ability to provide honest, constructive feedback is a hallmark of effective leadership. It demonstrates that you're committed to your team's improvement and professional development. - Being "nice" isn't enough: While a pleasant demeanor is valuable, true leadership goes beyond surface-level cordiality. Your team needs guidance, challenges, and opportunities for growth – not just a friendly face. - Short-term comfort vs. long-term growth: Your team might appreciate a conflict-free environment today, but they'll thank you tomorrow for the valuable insights and growth opportunities you provide through candid feedback. - Build trust through honesty: Open communication fosters a culture of trust and continuous improvement. Your team will respect you more for your honesty and commitment to their development. Remember, effective leadership isn't about being liked – it's about inspiring growth, driving results, and building a resilient, high-performing team. p.s: I'm not advocating for you to transform into a dictator or become the office's resident buzz killer. You don't need to start each day by pointing out everyone's mistakes every morning. The goal is to find that middle ground where your team respects you, grows with you, and doesn't run away scared when they see you coming.  #TeamGrowth #ConstructiveFeedback #ProfessionalGrowth Acumont