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How to Be Awesome at Your Job

1044: Becoming the Boss that Everyone Wants to Work For with Sabina Nawaz

Mar 27, 2025
Sabina Nawaz, an elite executive coach with experience in advising Fortune 500 companies, dives into the challenges of leadership. She discusses the perils of promotion and the importance of asking for genuine feedback. Power dynamics in leadership are explored, highlighting how leaders can become deaf to dissent. Nawaz emphasizes the value of 'doing nothing' for creativity and introduces micro-habits that support personal growth. Listeners gain insights into transforming pressure into productivity while fostering supportive workplace environments.
33:02

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Quick takeaways

  • Effective feedback relies on asking specific questions to elicit candid and constructive responses from team members, enhancing leadership understanding.
  • Leaders must recognize how pressure can distort their management style, shifting from supportive to domineering behavior, which can harm team dynamics.

Deep dives

Quality of Questions Shapes Feedback

The feedback individuals receive is closely tied to the quality of the questions they ask. Simply asking for feedback often leads to vague or overly positive responses, as employees may fear providing honest criticism to their superiors. To elicit meaningful feedback, asking specific questions is vital; for example, gauging performance on a defined scale can yield more useful insights. This approach helps leaders understand their effectiveness and areas for improvement, making the process of obtaining feedback more constructive.

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