Our CEO led an all-hands meeting of a company we had just acquired. In that meeting, he did two things.

1. He told a long, humorous, and embarrassing story about a time he was piloting a barge, and his poor driving resulted in the Governor, Lt. Governor, and a news crew getting dumped into a lake.
2. He introduced me as the General Manager who would lead this company on his behalf.

As the new leader of this team, I wasn’t sure how to follow his story! I obviously couldn’t strike a grave, “I’m the new sheriff in town” tone. Nor did I have a ready madcap anecdote about my embarrassing failure.

So I settled on just saying, “Hi, I’m Brad. I look forward to getting to know you all and hearing your ideas for the company’s future.”

Afterward, I stopped the CEO and asked why he took the approach he did, and I’ll never forget what he said.

These folks are experiencing a lot of uncertainty. They don’t know who we are or what to expect from us. I wanted them to see that we’re human. That I’ve screwed up before. Plus, if I leave them laughing, they’ll be in a better mood when you meet them one-on-one.

Then he headed back to the airport and left me in charge.

His focus was on how people would feel after he left.

A different mentor regularly asked me, “What does your team experience in your presence? Are they enthused, anxious, or empowered? Do they feel bigger and more capable or smaller and defeated? When you leave the room, what happens?”

I had never considered that question before, and when he asked it, I realized I wasn’t sure how people felt, so I started asking them.

The resulting conversations were awkward. Folks told me that I sometimes communicated disdain and that when I was disappointed, it was clear on my face. Some could recall times when I picked them up or when they felt energized, but more experienced relief when I was gone.

That feedback was hard to hear, but it set me on a course to be more aware of how and not just what I communicated. I got extremely curious about the emotions in the room, especially after I left, and looked for ways to change the experience of others.

How about you?

How do people feel after you leave the room? If you are gone for a day, are folks relieved, or is your energy missed? How do you know?

Shameless Self-Promotion!

My friend and client, Nick Richtsmeier, and I have launched a new podcast called Working/Broken. In our first episode, we dig into hustle culture and ask is it working or broken. Give it a listen wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like it, leave us a review on that platform so other folks can find us too.