How to Lead Challenging Conversations With Confidence

Good senior leaders don’t avoid tough conversations. But that doesn’t mean they always go well.

Whether it’s giving difficult feedback to a client, addressing underperformance or challenging a peer, these conversations matter. The quality of the conversation often defines how your leadership is perceived.

Here are three things that will help you handle those conversations with more confidence:

1. A Clear Outcome

Every conversation should be outcome-based. But in high-stakes situations, clarity is essential. If you don’t know what you want to happen by the end, you’re more likely to get derailed by emotion or go off track.

2. The Ability to Manage and Lead Emotional States

State management is one of the most underused leadership skills out there. Great leaders can manage their own emotional state and influence the emotional state of others. That doesn’t mean ignoring emotion. It means generating the right emotional energy to achieve your outcome.

3. The Secret of Confidence

Confidence makes you clear, calm and credible. But not everyone feels confident in a challenging conversation. If you don’t know the secret of being as confident as you want to be in any situation, email me and I’ll share it with you: richard@twentyoneleadership.com

One of our new Confidence Masterclasses is called Leading Challenging Conversations Confidently. It's sharp, practical and designed to help senior leaders handle high-stakes conversations with more clarity, control and confidence.

Want to be the first to hear more? Email me now.