Hi all!
A big thank you to Angie at Associated British Foods for forwarding this article to us. We always pay attention when something lands that speaks to Leading with Heart, because it is so integral to the work we do and the conversations we are having with clients every day. There is a lot of noise in the leadership space, but every now and then something cuts through in a way that feels both practical and honest about what it actually takes to lead well right now.
Drawing on thinking from McKinsey & Company, the article highlights four courageous conversations that matter most:
1. Legitimising professional dissent
Most organisations say they value challenge, but far fewer actually reward it in the moment. Professional dissent is not about being difficult; it is about improving the quality of thinking and decision making. People will only challenge if it feels safe enough to do so, and worthwhile. Leaders set that tone in the way they respond when someone disagrees with you. Do you explore it, or move on quickly? Do you reinforce it publicly, or only privately? Teams are always watching, and they quickly learn whether dissent is genuinely welcome or quietly discouraged.
2. Clearing withholds with transparency
A withhold is anything we are thinking but not saying. It might be a concern about a decision, frustration with a colleague, or doubt about a direction. Individually they seem small, but collectively they are corrosive. They show up as side conversations, misalignment and quiet disengagement. Clearing withholds is not about saying everything bluntly. It is about saying the right things, in the right way, at the right time. The shift for leaders is moving from protecting the relationship by staying silent, to strengthening the relationship through clarity.
3. Bringing performance truths into everyday interactions
Too often, performance conversations are saved for formal reviews or difficult moments, by which point the opportunity has passed. High performing cultures do something different. They normalise performance dialogue in real time. They speak regularly to what is working and what needs to shift. They can point to the impact that results from the performance. The result is fewer surprises, faster course correction, and a much stronger link between effort and impact.
4. Shaping a performance culture through honest feedback
Feedback is one of those things everyone agrees is important, and yet in many organisations it is inconsistent, overly softened or avoided altogether. The cost is high. Strong performers do not know why they are strong whilst others do not know what needs to change and standards become blurred. Honest feedback does not mean harsh feedback. It means clear, specific feedback grounded in impact, and delivered with the intent to help people succeed.
What resonates strongly for us is how closely this reflects what we see in practice. Across organisations, the gap is rarely about knowing what good leadership looks like. It is about what happens in the moment. For example, meetings where no one challenges, conversations that do not quite get said and feedback that is softened to the point of being unclear. Over time, these moments accumulate and shape culture far more than any formal process or statement of values.
In our work, this is where the focus tends to sit. Not just on what conversations to have, but on helping leaders recognise the patterns they fall into under pressure and giving them the awareness and grounding to choose differently. We support them in understanding when they are holding back, over-softening or over-correcting. Through our questions we ensure they are clear on what matters to them, and how they want to show up, particularly when the stakes are high. We also focus on building the confidence to have these conversations in a way that is both clear and human.
Taken together, it is a useful reminder that leadership is rarely about knowing what to do. More often it is about doing what we already know matters, especially when it feels uncomfortable or risky. To choose progress over perfection or the fear of getting it wrong.
The question for any organisation is perhaps not whether these conversations are important but whether people feel able, supported and expected to have them.
Rox x