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 Henschel, your executive coach, and today

we're talking about high stakes meetings. Charlotte had been the president of a consumer goods company for just over a year.

Her appointment had been a surprise because she had no prior experience in the consumer

goods sector. Once installed, she ruffled feathers by being relentless

about revenue and tough on people. In the 16 months she'd been in place, longtime

executives had resigned and junior people were polishing

their resumes. I'd had a ring-side seat through all of it. For the previous six

years I'd been coaching at the company and had built deep

relationships in several business units. Those past clients were calling me now.

They didn't want coaching. They wanted to vent. The conversations became familiar.

First, with moral outrage, the person would tell tales of Charlotte's transgressions.

Then, shifting to grief, they would bemoan the death of their beloved

collegial culture. I listened patiently but to be honest I wasn't terribly

sympathetic. I said,

the company's not better or worse than before, it's just different.

It's a new company now.

If you don't like it, you don't have to stay.

But you might just be reacting to change. Then grudgingly they would

tell me something Charlotte had done that was actually helping the company but

always the conversation would circle back to a sense of

...