Building a Culture of Radical Candor in Leadership
What does it really take to create a high-performing culture?
My friend Paul, a former brigade commander (the equivalent of a CEO for 5,000 people), once conducted a fascinating test with his staff. He proposed an idea so obviously flawed—high cost, little benefit—that it practically begged for someone to push back.
The room was filled with polite nods and smiles. No one challenged him.
No one, except one mid-level leader.
This brave soul hesitated but then said, “Sir, I’m not sure that’s a great idea.”
Paul, likely with a wry grin, responded, “Tell me why it isn’t.”
The staff member laid out the downsides and proposed a better solution. It was clear and logical. But here’s the catch—why didn’t anyone else in the room speak up?
Paul turned to his staff and asked, “Why did you nod along with a bad idea just because it came from the top? Do you not care about this organization or its people?”
This story hits at the heart of high-performing cultures: candor.
In organizations where candor thrives, everyone—from entry-level to executive—feels empowered to speak up for the good of the team. But here’s the key: candor starts with the leader.
If a leader encourages feedback, values alternative viewpoints, and responds with gratitude (not ego), they create a ripple effect. People speak up, challenge assumptions, and ensure the organization’s best interests always come first.
On the flip side, leaders who dismiss, ignore, or belittle feedback send a clear message: Stay quiet. Don’t rock the boat.
So, leader, here’s the tough question: Are you hearing what you want to hear, or what you need to hear?
A culture of radical candor doesn’t appear overnight—it’s cultivated through intentional leadership. Start rewarding honesty. Thank people who challenge ideas. Role model vulnerability by asking for feedback and acting on it.
By fostering this culture, you’ll unlock innovation, accountability, and trust that will set your organization apart.
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Episode 21 – The ABCs Of High Performing Organizations: Accountability, Buy-In, And Clarity With Chris Kolenda
In my latest Eagle’s Insight podcast episode, I interview Chris Kolenda, a U.S. Army veteran, strategic leadership consultant, and founder of the Strategic Leaders Academy. Chris shares his insights on bridging the gap between performance and potential by focusing on practical strategies drawn from ancient wisdom, history, and personal experience. We explore the critical components of high-performing organizations and offer actionable advice for leaders looking to improve their teams and themselves.
Key Takeaways:
Chris helps leaders and organizations close the gap between their performance and potential. His clients have grown by over $100m and counting. He also writes life-changing books and bicycles for great causes, like the 1700-mile Fallen Hero Honor Ride.?
Chris is a warrior-diplomat, combining assertiveness, statesmanship, and practical wisdom to help his clients gain dramatic wins. A West Point graduate, internationally renowned combat leader, and retired Army colonel, Chris led an 800-paratrooper task force in eastern Afghanistan, motivating a large insurgent group to stop fighting and switch sides.?
A trusted adviser to three 4-star generals and two Secretaries of Defense, Chris became the first American to have both fought the Taliban as a commander in combat and negotiated successfully with them in peace talks.?
His unique warrior-diplomacy has been featured in the New York Times bestselling books, including The Outpost by Jake Tapper. He’s been featured and interviewed in the world’s leading newspapers and broadcast channels.
His books include Leadership: The Warrior’s Art, and INDIES #1 War & Military book of 2021 Zero-Sum Victory: What We’re Getting Wrong About War.
Quotes from Chris Kolenda this episode:
“Closing the gap between your performance and your potential…is by accumulating using all of the, you know, couple 1000 years of wisdom from ancient Greco-Roman philosophy, history, practical experience, and studies… in a way that becomes a practical scaffolding, if you will, a practical bridge to help people get from the performance that they currently have to the potential that you know, that they have.”
“What you have to do accountability-wise is focus on the middle because that’s where most of your opportunity is and also we have an unlimited amount of tools to shape behavior because that’s ultimately that’s what accountability is all about shaping behavior that improves future performance.”.
“If you want a high performing organization, people need to understand your… mission and vision, your goals, your values and standards. That’s your common good. 2nd, they need to, they need to advance that common good voluntarily. So that’s buy-in. And 3rd is you want to, you want to continuously improve. And that’s that’s the accountability and you got to have all 3.”.
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