What if the biggest obstacle to a productive conversation… was the story in your head?
In this powerful episode, the curtain gets pulled back on one of the most damaging habits in leadership: assuming intent. From ghosted emails to pushback in meetings, it’s easy to jump to conclusions. But when leaders start conversations like prosecutors instead of partners, trust erodes and productivity dies.
The episode walks through how these mental shortcuts—called emotional reasoning—fuel defensiveness and kill collaboration. You’ll learn how to replace snap judgments with curiosity, defuse tension, and make every conversation more productive.
This shift isn’t soft. It’s smart. And it works.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction: The mental trap that kills conversations
02:15 – The dangers of emotional reasoning and assuming intent
05:12 – How made-up narratives damage culture and credibility
08:34 – Triggering defensiveness: why arguments never lead to change
11:01 – Blocking resolution by needing to be “right”
13:20 – The power of trading certainty for curiosity
16:05 – Walkthrough: Turning a late project into a teachable moment
18:38 – Rewiring your leadership approach with questions
21:10 – Avoiding blame, promoting ownership
23:42 – Final mindset shift before every difficult conversation
The full framework from this episode is also available in the free downloadable tool The Roadmap to Difficult Conversations
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