Challenge Yourself to Have Hard Conversations

We live in a dynamic and often difficult world. It can feel like every day brings a new dire situation that threatens our way of life and our futures.??

From domestic politics to the climate crisis, ongoing pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, the world is having some very hard conversations right now – conversations that are increasingly part of business discussions and decisions.??

Just as we have to embrace hard truths about the future, we have to embrace hard conversations. We can’t hide from the realities that are changing how we live and work. At the same time, these are sensitive subjects, that have far-ranging implications for everything from international business relationships to employee satisfaction.??

As leaders, how do we proceed? How do we acknowledge these tough situations in a way that is both respectful and appropriate???

As with most of the things I do, I try to look at it through the lens of authenticity. When something makes me feel something, I show that. I don’t hide how I feel – I express it. Our employees need to know that their leaders are human, just like they are. By showing emotion, we empower employees to do the same and be their own authentic selves.??

Let me give an example – and in the spirit of transparency, share something that I have been challenged with. The war in Ukraine has many far-ranging geopolitical and business ramifications. As the CEO of a global technology company, I have to react in a number of ways. I have had to make decisions around if we continue to do business with companies in Russia. I have to consider the potential impact of increased cyber-attacks on our customers in retaliation to sanctions.???

But I also have to, and need to, think about the human toil. The horrible images we see of bombed-out cities and injured civilians matter to me, and to anyone who sees them. It’s natural to feel upset about this situation. What is not always natural is for a CEO to share that they feel upset and emotionally impacted.?

As leaders, let’s normalize being emotional, being real, and being relatable with the people we work with. Let’s admit when a situation has us stressed or depressed. That’s normal, and it’s natural.??

Bottling up these emotions, or hiding from hard situations and conversations, only exacerbates the negative impact to how we feel – which equals how we work.??

We can apply this to situations independent to our own businesses too. In the technology industry, sudden changes are a fact of life. A customer might end their contract; an executive might leave. We can’t always sugarcoat this news for our teams. We have to own how we feel about it, communicate why it matters, and tell the real story of how we’ll move past it.??