This episode of The Art of Entrepreneurship is for founders who have the strategy down, but still get defensive when feedback gets personal.
Almost every hard thing I’ve navigated as a founder came down to one question: could I handle myself? That means sitting in an uncomfortable conversation without getting defensive, and hearing something true about myself without coming apart over it.
In this episode, I walk through the leadership skills that never make the founder skills list. They include:
Taking real accountability (without a little clause at the end that blames someone else),
Getting neutral when your product is criticized
Apologizing without a “but”
Asking for feedback you can actually receive
A real apology names what you did and acknowledges the impact, and it doesn’t ask the other person to manage your guilt for you. When a leader flinches at feedback, people stop telling them things.
I also get into why feeling comfortable for too long should make you a little uncomfortable, and why the version of me who started Accelity thirteen years ago couldn’t run it today.
Tune in if you’re ready to look at yourself honestly, even when it’s not fun.
If you like this episode, here are some others you'll enjoy.
Episode 159. Apologize only when you need to: the why & how – When an apology builds trust and when it undercuts you
Episode 153. Feedback is a gift, even when it sucks – Hearing hard feedback without getting defensive
Episode 251. Embracing intellectual humility w/ Dave Hersh – Why leaders who can say “I don’t know” make better decisions
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