How often have you heard this?
“Think more strategically. Be more proactive. Work on your executive presence. You need to collaborate more effectively.”
And every time you hear it, you probably think:
Great! But what does that actually mean?
It’s everywhere—feedback that sounds insightful, but changes nothing.
It’s like telling someone to “drive safer” without explaining how.
Leadership Is About Clarity
The difference between good and great leadership often comes down to the smallest things.
You can do 90% of your job brilliantly and still get stuck because of the 10% that no one’s calling out.
I once coached a senior leader who’d just come out of his year-end performance review.
The feedback from the executive team?
“You need to work on your leadership presence.”
When we talked about it in our session, I asked what that meant to him.
He paused—and admitted he wasn’t sure.
He knew it was important, but he couldn’t pinpoint what “presence” actually looked like.
So his first step was simple: he went back to the executive team to ask what they meant specifically.
The answers varied: “Own the room. Be more confident. Have a stronger voice.”
Different words, same vagueness.
But one thing became clear: the issue wasn’t what he said—his ideas were solid—it was how he said it.
He tended to rush through slides, speak softly, rarely pause for questions, and end with: “So… any thoughts?”
The result? No decisions. No clear next steps.
Once we had clarity on what needed to change, we worked on specific behaviors that build presence:
- Slowing down—and using silence to let key points land.
- Holding steady body language—grounded, still, intentional.
- Pausing strategically—to invite input and check for alignment.
- Ending with a clear recommendation instead of a vague question.
The shift was immediate.
Suddenly, people leaned in. They listened. They followed his lead.
Because “work on your presence” isn’t feedback—it’s commentary. It tells you what’s wrong, not how to fix it.
Clarity about what that looks like in action is what drives change.
Generic Advice Gets You Nowhere
Most leadership advice sounds like this:
- “Build trust.”
- “Think long-term.”
- “Communicate better.”
But real growth happens when you make those actionable:
❌ “Build trust.”
✅ “Give one piece of positive feedback within 24 hours of noticing it.”
❌ “Think long-term.”
✅ “Add one slide that defines what success looks like 12 months from now.”
❌ “Communicate better.”
✅ “Open meetings by stating the goal and end them by summarizing next steps.”
That’s the difference between feedback that lands and feedback that fades.
One moves people forward by showing them exactly what to do next. The other leaves them stuck, unsure where to start.
The Shift That Changes Everything
Lazy leadership says, “You need to improve.”
Real leadership says, “Here’s the one behavior that will elevate your impact.”
Lazy leadership says, “You need to be more confident in meetings.”
Real leadership says, “Lead with your recommendation and the reason behind it—then walk through the alternatives.”
One approach sounds smart. The other gets results.
The Takeaway: Clarity Drives Change
Clarity is the currency of great leadership.
Your people don’t need more advice—they need clarity they can act on.
So here’s your challenge this week:
Pick one person you lead and trade vague feedback for clear direction.
Don’t say, “Think more strategically.”
Say, “Before our next meeting, sketch the 12-month impact of your idea on one slide—what success looks like and how we’ll measure it.”
Tiny shifts like these create big results over time.
That’s how you turn feedback into growth—and advice into impact.
P.S. – Whenever you are ready… here are 3 ways I can help you accelerate to your next level of performance & success:
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