Fearful Giants Season 1 Rewind: Highlights and Best Hits
I took the summer off this year. I rested, I played, I hung out with friends, and I pretended I know how to golf. I came back energized, and I'm now recording new interviews for Season 2 of Fearful Giants, which premieres October 27.
Before we get into Season 2, I wanted to look back at Season 1 and some of the amazing moments and takeaways we had. So we put together a highlight reel of some of the moments and insights from those conversations. Going through it reminded me how generous these guests were with their stories, and how much is waiting in those full episodes for anyone who hasn't heard them yet.
Season 1 brought together founders, executives, investors, and leaders from very different worlds. One is responsible for a 120-year-old American heritage brand. Another started an investment firm because he was a failed founder. One spent 25 years putting people on screens and now wants to spend the next 25 getting them off. Each of them talked openly about the fear underneath their leadership, and what it took to face it.
In This Episode, We Talk About:
Why a leader's presence matters more than we tend to remember
Seven simple words for having difficult conversations
Love as a full contact verb in the workplace
The cost of winning at work while losing in life
Being a rested 10 instead of a simmering six
Leading change with people instead of doing it to them
My Key Takeaways
1. Your presence matters.
One guest learned from working with horses how much undivided attention matters when you're supporting someone through something difficult. As leaders, we can forget that sometimes the most useful thing we can offer is being fully present.
2. Assume good intent, then ask a question.
These seven simple words change how a difficult conversation starts. We also heard that no matter how old we are, people just want to be heard. In my experience, once people feel heard, that alone can defuse a situation even if nothing else has changed.
3. People need to know you care before they can hear the hard message.
Love came up as a full contact verb. If you're going to give constructive feedback, people have to know you care about them first. Another guest put it as a formula: vulnerability leads to trust, trust leads to accountability, and accountability leads to performance.
4. Winning has a cost.
More than one guest described being so focused on winning at work that they weren't winning in life. The idea of being a rested 10 instead of a simmering six has stuck with me all summer, and taking time off made it feel even more true.
5. Things are rarely as bad as they seem.
We talked about what happens when an identity you've built stops working, and how terrifying that can be. We also heard the perspective that comes with time: six months or a year later, you often realize it wasn't that big of a deal.
Every one of these conversations is available in full, and I'd love for you to go back and listen before Season 2 begins on October 27. There are some exceptional guests coming, and I can't wait for you to hear them.
Listen to the Season 1 recap here:
Connect with me, Clay Stelzer:
Website: https://15sixty.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claystelzer
Email: clay@15sixty.com
If you have a topic or guest you'd love to see on Fearful Giants, reach out to me at clay@15sixty.com
Clay