Radical Honesty - Stop Killing Your Team with Kindness

"I thought I was being a good leader by being gentle with feedback," shares a Director of Engineering from our community. "I was actually being a coward, and it was costing my team their growth."

The critical constraint wasn't skill or potential—it was filtered communication. By wrapping critical feedback in layers of diplomacy, he was denying his team the clarity they needed to transform. The breakthrough came during a Der Hebel hot seat when his "supportive" feedback was played back to him, stripped of all cushioning.

The leverage point? Radical honesty as a daily practice. "I realized I wasn't protecting their feelings—I was protecting myself from discomfort."

Implementation was uncomfortable: Direct feedback in the moment. No more "feedback sandwiches." Clear consequences stated upfront. Zero diplomacy theater.

Measurable transformation: