The biggest worry in a deal rarely appears on the agenda. Naming it before your counterpart does drops their defenses, builds instant trust and turns a stalled negotiation into a real conversation. This post explains why the habit works, how to apply it in complex enterprise and RFx deals, and the mistakes that turn empathy into theater.
Category: Leadership
Executives decide within minutes whether a first meeting becomes a relationship or a forgotten handshake. This post turns the introduction into a repeatable system: build recognition before you meet, lead with outcomes and listen deeply while you meet, and close with a specific reason to reconnect after you meet.
A practical, evergreen operating cadence built on five meetings: weekly team syncs, monthly one-on-ones, monthly all-hands, quarterly strategy sessions and annual culture touchpoints. Each one has a single purpose, a strict format and a clear output, so your team spends less time in meetings and gets far more value from them.