Approximately a 2-minute read

Happy Monday!

A lot of leadership really comes down to understanding others' perspectives, letting people know when they’re doing well, and having honest conversations that build trust.

Today's newsletter expands on all three of these.

Hope something in here is useful...

perception.

Perception is personal.

Each of us views the world through the lens of our own experiences, capabilities, and circumstances. Where one person sees obstacles, another might see opportunities. Someone who has been burned by past failures may hesitate to take risks, while someone who hasn’t faced those setbacks may take progress for granted.

Psychologist Dennis Proffitt’s research reminds us that perception isn’t just about eyesight—it’s shaped by mindset, attention, and past experiences. The same situation can look completely different depending on who is looking at it.

Effective leaders don’t just demand that others see things their way. They take the time to understand how each individual perceives the situation. Before correcting, challenging, or pushing, they pause to consider: What does this look like from their perspective? What’s weighing on their mind?

The best leaders recognize that before you tell people where to look, you must first understand what they see.

try it:

Before your next important conversation, take 60 seconds and ask yourself: How might this person be seeing this differently than me? Consider what they’ve experienced, what pressure they’re under, and what might feel obvious to them that doesn’t feel obvious to you.

Then go into the conversation with one goal: understand before you try to be understood.
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​​acknowledge.

In her book The Right Call, Sally Jenkins shares how Coach Tony Dungy learned this lesson as the Head Coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1999, a team that won the division.

Pointing out the progress people are making goes a long way, especially with people who are hard on themselves.

try it:

Today, don’t assume people know you appreciate them. Say it. Pick one person who’s putting in the work, making progress, or doing the little things right and tell them specifically what you see.
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feedback.

In a recent conversation with an athlete, we were reflecting on his week. I asked him what the highlight was, and without hesitation, he said that it was a conversation with his coach.

The coach had given him honest, unfiltered feedback. It was direct, specific, and hard to hear, but it was exactly what he needed.

I asked him why it meant so much. He said, “When you’re successful, people pander to you. Oftentimes, they tell you what you want to hear. But this was real.”

I invited him to tell his coach what he just told me, to let him know it landed. What most athletes don’t realize is how vulnerable coaching can be. After the tough conversations, a coach might wonder: Did I go too far? Did I lose him/her?

But when an athlete closes the loop and says, “That helped,” it lets the coach know that those words build a bridge, not a wall.

The athlete ended up telling his coach how much the feedback meant to him. The coach was relieved because he had no idea whether it had landed or he’d gone too far. That moment of honesty strengthened their relationship.

Sometimes the most powerful feedback is feedback about the feedback.

try it:

Think about a piece of hard feedback that helped you, even if it stung at first. Now close the loop.

Reach out to the person who gave it to you and tell them: “That was hard to hear, but I needed it. Thank you for being honest with me.”

Feedback can feel risky to give. When you let someone know it helped, you don’t just affirm the message. You strengthen the relationship that made the message possible.

Three final things:

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​​Hope you have a great week!

Justin Su'a

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