Retired USAF Colonel DeDe Halfhill has spent a career mastering difficult conversations and she'll tell you that the thing we avoid saying is almost always the thing that needs to be said most. In this clip from What Do You Know To Be True?, she reframes honest conversations not as a risk, but as a gift.
As a junior officer, DeDe stayed silent when something needed to be said. As a senior leader, she realized what she wanted most from her team was their unfiltered truth, even when it was uncomfortable. That shift in perspective changed everything about how she leads.
"Just say it," she tells the leaders she coaches. "Be kind and honest." The leadership communication breakthrough isn't about having the perfect words, it's about having the courage to start.
This is the superpower of telling truth to power, delivered in a way that sees the other person's humanity.
▶️To watch the full conversation with DeDe Halfhill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwQ5bjOR6Xw&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=1&t=14s
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Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️DeDe’s Website: https://dedehalfhill.com/
➡️DeDe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dedehalfhill/
Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.
"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.
This podcast is for leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.
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"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/
Keywords
#difficultconversations #leadershipcommunication #honestconversations #speakingup