Welcome back to the look and sound of leadership.

An ongoing series of executive coaching tips designed to help you be perceived in the

workplace the way you want to be perceived.

I'm Tom Henshel, your executive coach, and today we're talking about building consensus.

Savvy or Sin?

Irene was a fascinating blend of artist in the clouds and a crisp leader who got

not stuff done.

Five years ago, she had become the head of a fine arts organization.

She had a clear vision of where she wanted to take them.

For her leadership team, she handpicked people she trusted, valued, and liked.

Now, years later, she found the team disappointing.

Individually they were okay, but as a team, she found them nice and polite, but not terribly

effective.

Having her team unstuck was one of the goals she had set for her coaching.

In one of our earliest coaching conversations, I asked what she meant when she said the

team was polite.

She shrugged, they don't speak up, but I need to hear from them.

We have some big decisions to make, and I want to be sure when we move forward everyone's

on the same page.

I said, so polite means being quiet.

Yeah.

And it's slowing me down.

...