The High Performer Everyone Avoided—and Why Leadership Looked Away

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome to Leadership Unscripted. Each edition, we share 1 Case Study, 1 Framework, 1 Question. These are real moments and practical strategies for rethinking your approach to leadership.

Let’s dive in.

“I didn’t know what to say—so I said nothing.”

That’s what Jordan, a senior executive at a global media company, admitted during her  1:1 executive coaching session.

Just days earlier, a devastating world event had unfolded—a violent incident dominating headlines, triggering protests, and left many employees shaken. Social media feeds were flooded. Slack was going wild. ERGs were already organizing virtual check-ins. And yet, leadership had stayed silent.

Jordan felt the pressure immediately.

“My team is incredibly diverse. I knew people were affected. I just didn’t know what the right words were.”

She drafted three different emails. Deleted them all. Asked a peer for input—then second-guessed what they wrote together. “I don’t want to make it worse,” she said. “What if I say the wrong thing and offend someone?”

So she said nothing.

The silence stretched.

Employees noticed.

During a 1:1, one team member finally voiced what many were feeling:
"I kept refreshing my inbox, hoping someone in leadership would acknowledge how hard this week was. Nothing came. So I stopped expecting it."

Others pulled back too. Slack channels went quiet. Two ERG leads canceled their upcoming meetings. The damage wasn’t caused by malice—it was caused by absence.

That moment became a turning point—not because of what was said, but because of what wasn’t.

Jordan eventually followed up with a brief, heartfelt message that began with: “I may not get this perfectly right, but I didn’t want silence to imply indifference.”

The replies poured in. Dozens of team members thanked her. Some offered their own reflections. Others just said, “Thanks for finally saying something.”

The takeaway? People rarely expect leaders to have all the right words. But they do notice when leaders don’t show up at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Framework

The “Communication, Collaboration, Alignment” Framework

Over the past few years, situations have arisen when leaders are not certain of what to say, but as this case study points out, silence is not the correct response. When you're afraid of saying the wrong thing, try using the Communication, Collaboration, Alignment Framework to humanize your leadership:

• Communication–Builds Trust and Clarity
  Communication focuses on fostering open and transparent communication within the team, promoting active listening, sharing clear expectations, and providing constructive feedback to enhance collaboration and understanding among team members.
  Start by naming what’s happening, even if imperfectly. (“I know there’s been a lot weighing on people this week…”)

• Collaboration–Strengthening Team Dynamics
  Promotes an environment where diversity of thought is valued and encouraged; it involves actively seeking and valuing input creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute their unique insights.
  Open the door. (“If you're comfortable, I’d love to hear how you're doing or what support might help right now.”)

• Alignment–Ensures Collective Success
  Focus driving clarity, unity, and collaboration, ensuring everyone is working toward shared success; leaders, teams, and individual contributors are working together cohesively toward a shared purpose, fostering clarity, unity, and collaboration.

Share how your organization’s values or the organization’s intentions align with inclusion. (“We may not always get it right, but we’re committed to creating space for care and connection.”)

This isn’t about having perfect words—it’s about showing up, in a timely fashion, with presence and humility.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Question

Tough moments test every leader. 👉 What conversation have you been avoiding—and what’s been the cost of staying silent?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Have you ever uncovered a “language mismatch” on your team? Hit reply and share what shifted once it was addressed.

Want more tools to help your team speak with care, clarity, and courage—especially when the stakes feel high? Explore our Power of Language Workshops

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One more thing…Let's Talk Real Inclusion in Learning

Inclusion isn’t a moment. It’s a mindset. And it shows up in how we design, deliver, and debrief learning.

On July 21 at 11 am EST, we’re gathering a powerhouse panel to unpack what inclusive learning really looks like—before, during, and after the session.

🧩 What you’ll learn:

• How to design for neurodiverse and underrepresented learners

• How to foster psychological safety while facilitating

• How to embed inclusive practices into your learning culture

• How to navigate power dynamics and encourage equtable participation

🗓 45 minutes. Real stories. Practical takeaways.
Join us here → How to Create Inclusion in the Learning Space

Let’s build the kind of learning experience everyone deserves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Real Stories. Real Tools. Real Impact.

Forget the fluff. We’re that company, revealing behind-the-scenes leadership wins and strategies that actually work.

Because all it takes is one bold move to shatter barriers, inspire your team, and make your mark.