Those who suggest someone be more assertive, are usually very comfortable asserting themselves.

But, alone, such skills can be as detrimental to progress as not speaking up at all.

So, who is it really that’s causing the inefficiencies, the rework, the roadblocks between functions, all the unclear expectations, the wrong product going to market, the delay in delivery and customer dissatisfaction?

At the ‘controlling’ end of the pendulum, we invest energy, focus and determination into ensuring things are perfect, trying to make things happen by directing, telling and project managing everyone and everything.

Effective accountability conversations are near to absent in the workplace. In my experience it’s the area most leaders and managers are disempowered, no matter how experienced, intelligent or passionate they are.

Effective accountability conversations are near to absent in the workplace. In my experience it’s the area most leaders and managers are disempowered, no matter how experienced, intelligent or passionate they are.

Contrary to what our clever minds try to convince us of, when we believe our resistance and continue to avoid what’s pushing our buttons, the challenge does not go away as we secretly hope.

As leaders, our brand introduces us before we show up. It’s the thoughts and feelings people connect with our name when they think of us, or speak our name. It’s how they relate and how much they trust us, and whether they even want to.

A harsh fact to face, especially if we are the executives…or the leaders or the managers. But, as harsh as it may be, in my experience, almost all leaders find holding their people accountable the most challenging of their responsibilities.

It’s a very costly cultural trait. Not only does this behaviour erode trust, create reactive employees across the organisation (because everyone’s procrastinating about raising an issue) and ultimately slow business down, it wastes your precious time that could be much better invested.

As a leader your challenge is to see the future before others do, move toward it with belief and certainty, inspiring your people to come with you. Empower them to step onto the path of growth and achievement, leap toward the future and in the process become more than who they are today.

Real, honest, sometimes heart-breaking conversations became the basis of creating true freedom and deep connection within our family relationships. Our appreciation for each other feeding our acceptance of our differences.

Driving our need for control, whether we like to admit it to ourselves or not, is fear. Fear of failure or of success, of not being good enough. Fear of being taken advantage of or of being rejected or not living up to our own, or another’s, expectations.

Dylan Marron, creator and host of the podcast ‘Conversations with people who hate me’…does exactly that.

Walking the line between the limits of the past to his left, and the possibilities of the future to his right, this leader wasn’t yet fully convinced that a change was worth what it was going to take to create it.

We often enjoy the complexities of conflicting priorities and the challenge of achieving and completing projects on time, to budget and to the highest quality.

Many leaders share they have at least one person in their team who, from their perspective, resists additional responsibility, turns down learning opportunities or avoids staying back to help out.

A successful and accomplished professional, wife and mum, this determined woman was ready for change when we met. She knew there had to be a better way than working even harder and longer, while trying to be everything for everyone at home.

When we’re vulnerable, it can bring others close – we let them in, rely on them, we have to lean on them for support. They can feel like they’re helping, making a difference for those they care about.