Over the past 2 years writing this newsletter, something has become clearer to me.
Most of the leaders I work with aren’t struggling because they don’t know how to have hard conversations.
They’re struggling because their leadership teams quietly lose momentum.
The strategy is set.
The retreat happened.
The goodwill was there.
But then momentum slows.
Politeness creeps in.
Accountability blurs.
Board anxiety quietly (or maybe not so quietly) increases.
Strong leaders start considering exits.
That pattern shows up far more often than people admit.
When I started Difficult Conversations Weekly, I didn’t know how this would actually turn out.
Would people actually read it?
Would I even have enough to write about?
I certainly didn’t know that I would still be going strong 2 years later!
However, the time has come for both me and this newsletter to evolve.
Now, the focus on communicating well in hard situations isn’t going away.
In fact, if all you want is communication tips, I’ll still be covering that on Thursdays on my Linkedin page.
Beginning with the next issue, Tuesday’s newsletter is evolving into:
The Executive imPACT Brief
A short, direct advisory written specifically for Executive Directors in their first three years who are navigating leadership team alignment, execution drift, and fragile momentum.
Each week, I’ll address one pattern I see repeatedly inside early-tenure leadership teams:
- Why strategy stalls
- How “healthy” teams quietly avoid real alignment
- What board pressure often signals
- Why high turnover isn’t just a signal your managers aren’t doing well
- And what structurally aligned teams do differently
This won’t be generic leadership encouragement.
It will be a clear-eyed diagnosis and practical insight drawn from real organizational work.
If you’re an Executive Director navigating those first few years – or if you’re struggling with turnover and leadership burnout – this is for you.
Thursday’s difficult conversation tips will continue as usual.
But Tuesday is now focused squarely on the executive-level realities that determine whether early leadership momentum compounds… or erodes.
The first edition of The Executive imPACT Brief arrives in two weeks.
What does this mean for you?
So here’s the deal:
We all get way too many emails, so if this new focus isn’t for you, I encourage you to take control of your inbox and unsubscribe!
No harm, no foul. You can always still follow me here on Linkedin.
And since this is the last newsletter of the old format, here are some other ways I want to support you:
Still need help with hard conversations?
- I have a podcast “The Art and Science of Difficult Conversations” found anywhere you get podcasts or you can go straight here: https://bio.site/tasdc
- My Linkedin page will still cover a difficult conversation and communication tip every Thursday – no change there at all!
Interested in help to build your influence, sell your ideas to senior leaders more, or be taken more seriously as a thought partner?
While I used to provide that service, I’m actually stepping away from that.
But, you’re not alone, in fact, I put together a small list of affordable coaches that I trust to provide this service.
Interested? Respond back and I’ll connect you!
I do hope that I continue to see you here and I hope that you get value out of this newsletter.
If not, I hope that you continue your journey of growth and find success and peace in this really volatile world!
The first edition of The Executive imPACT Brief arrives in two weeks.
Cheers,
Chris
