people on our teams start filling in the blanks and making up stories about each other, and the wall between us keeps getting higher. In this episode, Desiree shares the WALL Blueprint from her breakout session at the 2026 Intentional Leader Summit. It’s a structure for having the conversations that need to be had, so the good intentions of the good people on your team can actually lead to a team that trusts each other.

Whether you’re the boss or not, this one will help you speak up, hold people accountable, and ask for what you need without putting anyone on the defensive.

In this episode:
➪ W: What story am I telling myself? How to separate what you know for certain from what you’re assuming, and why your coworker is not the villain in their own story
➪ A: Address it directly. Why the compliment sandwich shuts the conversation down, and what to say instead of hiding behind the handbook
➪ L: Listen through the discomfort. Stop talking, give them space, and swap absolutes like “you always” for what you actually observed
➪ The question to ask yourself before every hard conversation: am I willing to be wrong?
➪ L: Land with clarity. Four questions that keep your team from having the exact same talk six months from now
➪ How to build a feedback culture where your team feels safe to speak up, because what’s rewarded is repeatable and what’s tolerated becomes the standard

So what hard conversation have you been avoiding, and why?

RESOURCES:

Breaking the Fourth Wall Episode

The WALL Blueprint for having hard conversations

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This podcast for managers is here to help you:

• Grow your leadership development
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• Learn how to handle conflict at work
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