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However, radical candor is not something
that only happens from the top down;
it’s not hierarchical and it’s critical that
your team feels as though they can be
radically candid with you, too. Further-
more, if you’re reading this and you’re
part of a team but not the leader, you
can still create a climate of radical
candor among your teammates. It’s
critical, however, that you’re not nitpicking
for its own sake without caring personally.
This would label you as being ‘obnoxiously
aggressive’ when providing guidance.
It’s a difficult balance to strike, but one
that builds trust and better collaboration
over time.
How do you get started? How do you
encourage your team to be receptive
to direct feedback? A technique you
can try includes finding time for real
conversations with those who report to
you directly about their lives outside of
work on a human level. What do they
care about? What fires them up? What
are their challenges? Scott also advises
leaders to start by asking for feedback
before dishing it out. So, show that you
can accept feedback and act on that
feedback, facilitating changed behaviour.
When you feel like you’re ready to provide
radically candid feedback to your
team, start with praise before lobbing
criticisms, which is much more difficult
(although necessary and worth it) to
pull off effectively.
18 | November 2019 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE
Brown’s work studying vulnerability
echoes Scott’s work studying honesty:
“Clear is kind and unclear is unkind.”
Both leaders have found that being
direct (ensuring first that you’ve created
an environment that shows that you
care deeply) is the best way to help
your team members do their best work.
Skirting around an issue, or worse, talking
negatively about someone or their
work behind their back, erodes trust
and creates a very toxic environment.
Remember that good habits can pay
dividends by encouraging team members
to follow your own example.
each other, and that inherently weak-
ens the organization.”
Trust stems from safety
Trust and cooperation are natural by-
products of teams whose leaders make
them feel safe. Author and speaker
Simon Sinek discovered that when he
asked people (who were part of an
organization that made them feel safe)
why they did something valiant or cour-
ageous or helpful for another person,
they responded with “...because they
would have done it for me.” Trust and
cooperation are tricky because they
are feelings and not instructions. You
can’t just tell people to cooperate or to
trust; they have to want to be trusting
and cooperative toward others. Sinek
explains: “If the conditions are wrong,
we are forced to expend our own time
and energy to protect ourselves from
Simon Sinek
He also believes that great leaders
would sooner sacrifice the numbers to
save their people, versus the alternative.
An excellent example is manufacturing
company Barry-Wehmiller based in St.
Louis, Missouri. In 2008, the firm was
hit hard during the recession and 30%
of its orders disappeared overnight. In
being forced to save $10 million, the
company’s leader, Bob Chapman, had
to come up with a plan. But he refused
to sacrifice his people! He believed
there were options other than laying off
his workforce. His idea involved all
employees “hurting a little” so that no
one would get “hurt a lot.” His solution
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