,“Great leaders make tough “people decisions” and are tender in implementing them.” Brene Brown

I am currently reading Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead and the above quote caught my eye. Her study of shame clearly shows that how something happens is far more impactful than what actually happens to people. This applies to being criticized by your boss, not getting a promotion or getting fired. Brown does not recommend avoiding the tough conversations, in fact, quite the opposite. She refers to these tough conversations as rumbling and handled openly, respectfully and with authenticity, they can be a powerful force to overcome toxic and shame–filled work cultures to build up individuals and teams to do their best work.

This is a great reminder to be intentional on both the WHAT and the HOW of all situations. It never hurts to be kind.