349: Why Your One-on-Ones Are Failing Your Team

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Most managers think strong leadership means holding regular one-on-one meetings. But if those conversations are nothing more than project updates and task reviews, your team is not being led. They are being supervised.

In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, leadership and career coach, keynote speaker, and host John Neral breaks down the three leadership skills that separate transactional managers from impactful leaders. If you are a mid-career professional trying to become a stronger leader, get promoted, improve team performance, or create more influence at work, this episode gives you practical leadership strategies you can use immediately.

We start by rethinking the purpose of one-on-one meetings. Instead of treating them like weekly status reports, I share a simple framework centered around clarity, ownership, and growth so your conversations become more intentional, developmental, and productive.

Then we tackle one of the biggest leadership mistakes I see: avoiding direct feedback. Too many managers soften difficult conversations to avoid discomfort, only to create confusion, frustration, and poor performance later. I explain why the “be nice” instinct often backfires and how employees end up blindsided during performance reviews because no one addressed the issue earlier.

You will also learn a practical XYZ feedback framework you can immediately apply with your team: “When you did X, it impacted Y, and going forward, I need you to do Z.”

Finally, we explore one of the most overlooked leadership responsibilities: advocacy. Strong leaders do more than manage performance. They represent their people when those employees are not in the room. I share how advocating for your team by naming wins, connecting contributions to business outcomes, and creating visibility can lead to stronger engagement, stretch opportunities, promotions, and career growth.

If you want to improve your leadership presence, become a more trusted manager, and position yourself for greater career advancement, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership and show you how to SHOW UP more intentionally.

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you and you want more support in how you SHOW UP for your career and life, I want to invite you to join the SHOW UP Leadership Lab. 

This is my group membership program where you'll get the clarity and support you need to SHOW UP more impactfully and effectively in your life and career. 

Visit https://johnneral.com/showup to join.

 
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