A Student of Leadership - Real Leaders. Real Growth. One Table.

This week's Play: Repair the small trust break before it compounds.Trust is not lost in the dramatic moment. It is lost in the pattern of small things.In this Q2 close episode of A Student of Leadership, Robert Adams returns to The Napkin, the seventh element of the Place Setting Framework, with the question that closes the quarter. What are the small behaviors that quietly destroy trust, and how do you audit yourself honestly enough to catch them before your team gives up?This is the Q2 close. Thirteen weeks of the Place Setting Framework. Seven elements introduced, with several on their second pass. The full table has been set, and parts of it have been set twice.In this episode:- Why the leaders who derail at senior levels do not derail because of strategic failures- Marshall Goldsmith's research, accumulated over decades, on the small behavioral patterns that compound into lost trust- Five small trust-destroyers most leaders do not see in themselves- Why the people closest to the pattern are usually the last ones to see it- The audit that matters most is the one the team runs on the leader every day- Why AI cannot run this audit for the leader- The Q2 close: where the framework has been, where it goes from hereThe five trust-destroyers to audit:01. Divided attention02. Credit asymmetry03. The broken small commitment04. The barely-visible favoritism05. The dismissed inputQ2 BY THE NUMBERS:13 weeks of weekly publishing7 framework elements introduced4 elements at second pass already4 months of compounding contentWHAT'S NEXT:Q3 begins July 6. The framework continues. The remaining second-pass elements. By the end of Q3, every piece of the framework will have been deepened.July 14: A Student of Leadership, LLC becomes Robert's full-time work. The transition from EVP at UniPro to full-time coaching, content, and the next phase.Referenced this week:Marshall Goldsmith leadership derailers research. Documented across decades of executive coaching at senior organizational levels and across multiple published works. Robert is a certified Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coach (2018).Episode 70: The Refill Discipline. Available now in your podcast feed.CONNECT WITH ROBERT ADAMS:The Leadership Table, weekly newsletter on Substack (free)A weekly leadership playbook. Every Monday at 6:00 AM EST.https://robertadamsleader.substack.com/Breaking Bread, LinkedIn Newsletter (free)The shorter version of the week's idea. Every Friday at 6:45 AM EST.https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7316826823063920641/Subscribe to A Student of Leadership:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-student-of-leadership-real-leaders-real-growth-one-table/id1788679511Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KdlbKAVbF118b2KhfcpqyWebsite: https://astudentofleadership.riverside.com/Share this episode with one leader closing Q2 and ready to run the trust audit they have been postponing.Real Leaders. Real Growth. One Table.Robert Adams | A Student of Leadership

This week's Play: Run the feedback you have been quietly resisting.Average leaders defend. Great leaders absorb.In this episode of A Student of Leadership, Robert Adams returns to The Fork, the fourth element of the Place Setting Framework, with the harder question that takes its second pass. What do great leaders absorb that average leaders reject?The leader who absorbs feedback is building. The leader who defends against it is preserving. Both happen quietly. The compounding difference shows up over decades.In this episode:- The personal story Robert has not told publicly before: what happened in the first week of his Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching certification in 2018- Why over twenty years of "receiving feedback well" was actually a sustained performance of receptiveness with internal defense underneath- The shift from feedback to feedforward, and why one is past-focused and the other is future-focused- Three things average leaders reject and why each one feels reasonable in the moment- Three disciplines that distinguish leaders who keep developing well into their sixties from leaders who plateau in their forties- Why the explanation attached to a thank-you is always a defense- Where AI helps with self-awareness and where it cannot replace the people who actually see your leadershipThe three rejections to watch for in yourself:01. Suggestions from someone you outrank02. Suggestions that contradict a previous public commitment03. Suggestions that imply you have a gapThe three disciplines of absorption:01. Ask, repeatedly, with specificity02. Thank without explaining03. Follow up with what you tried and what happenedReferenced this week:Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching methodology. Robert is a certified Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coach. The feedforward methodology is documented across Goldsmith's published work and decades of executive coaching research.Episode 68: How to Lead When You Do Not Have the Authority. Available now in your podcast feed.CONNECT WITH ROBERT ADAMS:The Leadership Table, weekly newsletter on Substack (free)A weekly leadership playbook. Every Monday at 6:00 AM EST.https://robertadamsleader.substack.com/Breaking Bread, LinkedIn Newsletter (free)The shorter version of the week's idea. Every Friday at 6:45 AM EST.https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7316826823063920641/Subscribe to A Student of Leadership:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-student-of-leadership-real-leaders-real-growth-one-table/id1788679511Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KdlbKAVbF118b2KhfcpqyWebsite: https://astudentofleadership.riverside.com/Share this episode with one leader who is ready to start absorbing instead of defending.Real Leaders. Real Growth. One Table.Robert Adams | A Student of Leadership

The episode explores the concept of invisible ceilings that limit leaders and the importance of asking better questions to break through these limitations. It also discusses the After Action Review, the experience trap, the difference between leading and managing, and the power of asking questions to crack ceilings. The episode concludes with a segment on staying connected and a preview of the next topic.TakeawaysInvisible ceilings limit leadersLeaders who break ceilings ask better questionsChapters00:00 The Invisible Ceiling05:26 Staying Connected

The conversation explores the evolution of leadership behavior, the impact of leadership habits on growth, and the concept of the leadership table as a gathering place for leaders to connect and grow. It emphasizes the idea that leadership habits are tools, not identities, and highlights the importance of recognizing that what got you here won't get you there.TakeawaysLeadership habits are tools, not identitiesWhat got you here won't get you thereChapters00:00 The Evolution of Leadership Behavior05:19 The Leadership Table

The conversation explores the impact of accountability on leadership, emphasizing the importance of safety, curiosity, and behavior-based leadership. It delves into the shift from blame to process-oriented accountability and encourages the spread of healthier leadership practices.TakeawaysAccountability and leadershipBehavior-based leadershipChapters00:00 The Impact of Accountability

In this episode, Robert Adams discusses the concept of psychological safety in leadership and its impact on team dynamics. He shares insights on creating an environment where honesty and transparency are valued, and how leaders can foster psychological safety within their teams. The episode concludes with a reminder of the upcoming topics and resources for further leadership development.TakeawaysPsychological safety is essential for team growth and creativityLeaders can foster psychological safety by valuing honesty and responding with curiosityChapters00:00 Introduction to Psychological Safety05:59 Conclusion and Next Steps