I make mistakes daily. It is simply part of being human. I desire personal growth as a father, architect, boss, and well as a human. There are many things I could work on each day for sure. However, one of the things I am really good at is giving my opinion and being candid. I know this is not always seen as a positive in our society, which often likes to beat around the bush. It is also not always delivered by me in a way that it can be used for positive change. I do think being candid is very valuable for our society today. We have been told that we cannot like those people we don’t agree with. We have been told not to talk about important issues because it might end up putting a label on us that is not accurate. I have often used the example in my life of a relationship that I have with a leader in our community. He and I don’t share alignment in our political beliefs. However, I respect and care about him personally. I know he is a good man and I can learn from him. So we can have an open conversation about issues we don’t agree on and still respect each other. We can both walk away after being candid and still respect each other. We have a radically candid relationship. I don’t do this as well with my employees. I don’t ask for their open criticism enough so that I can grow as a leader. I don’t give critical feedback enough so my employees can grow. I have been waiting for this talk – VBK 2018 – to happen in our community for a long time. I think we need more open and honest conversation to happen for a healthier future in this community. I believe there is untapped potential in both leaders and employees in this community that radically candid conversations / feedback / praise / criticism can help prosper. I am really looking forward to VBK 2018 and the impact this talk is going to have on the Valley.
Valley Business Keynote 2018
Valley Business Keynote is upon us and this one is going to be amazing. Our opening speaker Dave Urso has been teaching and developing leaders for 18 years. His energetic and interactive approach will captivate you and bring you into his conversation. He opens you up through his delivery method and may challenge some of your beliefs through his value proposition. He is candid in his delivery and compassionate in his support of your success. I don’t know Dave well, yet, but I do know he wants us all to find our potential and to achieve great things.
Kim Scott – Radically Candid Keynote
Our keynote speaker this year, Kim Scott, advocates for Radical Candor. This leadership approach, in my opinion, is often lacking in our beat around the bush culture. Kim advocates for leaders to “care personally” and to “challenge directly.” According to the book, this should not just be a one way street. The leader should also ask for and receive praise and criticism from those they lead. In other words, a good leader opens up a dialog for their improvement to happen as well as their team to grow. She sees potential in team members helping each other not just with praise, but also lessons learned and direct and honest criticism of each other. This only works if you have built a team that cares for one another personally. The concept is not complicated, but as a manager, incredibly difficult to achieve. You have to get to the point, quit beating around the bush, and be CANDID.
I hope to see you at VBK 2018 on July 26th. If you don’t already have a ticket, be sure to reach out to our sponsors to see if they have one to spare. We are SOLD OUT. If you cannot make it there in person, we have a partnership with WHSV and they are going to rebroadcast the talk in the near future.
