The "shit sandwich" might be the most common feedback technique in management, and it's also one of the worst. In this clip from Episode 8 of People Are the Worst, Lucy and Lindsey break down why sandwiching constructive feedback between two pieces of praise wastes time, why most managers don't give nearly enough feedback in the first place, and how to build the confidence to actually do it well.

If you're a new manager who feels insecure about giving feedback, or a seasoned one whose 360 results keep saying "more feedback please," this one's for you. Lucy and Lindsey walk through how to prepare feedback, how to signal good intent, the question to ask before you deliver it, and the truth about where confidence actually comes from.

Want to Ask Us a Question? We’re taking real questions from real managers and people leaders. Email us at dearlandl@elevateleadership.com, and we just might feature yours in a future episode.

Learn more about our solutions at https://www.elevateleadership.com/

Connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseynehls/

Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-georgiades-84933622/

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. And leave us a review to let us know what you think.

Decision-making isn’t just about frameworks. It’s about what happens when those frameworks break down.

In this episode of People Are the Worst, Lucy and Lindsey continue their in-depth exploration of leadership intelligence, focusing on what truly hinders high-quality decisions: bias, fear, and confidence gaps.

Even when leaders understand data, stakeholders, and process, decisions can still go sideways. Why? Overthinking, imposter syndrome, and hidden mental traps quietly shape how we show up in critical moments.

You’ll learn how to coach overthinkers without shutting them down, why most leaders don’t give enough feedback (and how to do it better), and how to recognize when performance management is no longer serving anyone. The episode also tackles one of the hardest challenges leaders face: rebuilding confidence after making the wrong call.

Lucy and Lindsey break down practical tools like decision reversibility, separating identity from outcomes, and spotting biases like sunk cost and confirmation bias in real time. They also explore how to approach complex, high-stakes decisions with clarity by balancing data, stakeholders, and decision processes.

If you’ve ever second-guessed a decision, delayed a tough call, or wondered if you’re getting it right, this episode will help you move forward with more clarity, confidence, and intention.

Want to Ask Us a Question? We’re taking real questions from real managers and people leaders. Email us at dearlandl@elevateleadership.com, and we just might feature yours in a future episode.

Learn more about our solutions at https://www.elevateleadership.com/

Connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseynehls/

Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-georgiades-84933622/

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. And leave us a review to let us know what you think.

How do you know if your strategic thinking is actually effective, especially when everything feels like it’s moving faster than ever?

In this mini episode of People Are the Worst, Lindsey and Lucy unpack a question many newer managers quietly wrestle with: Am I thinking strategically enough? When urgency is high and the pace of change keeps accelerating, it’s easy to slip into constant reaction mode rather than stepping back to see the bigger picture.

Lucy breaks down a practical way to evaluate your own strategic thinking by focusing on four key behaviors. That includes understanding your company’s goals, staying informed about changes in your industry, intentionally carving out time to think beyond day-to-day tasks, and aligning your team around clear priorities.

The conversation also explores how AI and rapid market shifts are forcing leaders to rethink how they make decisions and set strategy. Strategic thinking isn’t about always being right. It’s about lifting your head, taking context into account, and helping your team move forward with clarity.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re being strategic enough in your role, this episode offers a simple framework to check your thinking and sharpen your leadership approach.

Want to Ask Us a Question? We’re taking real questions from real managers and people leaders. Email us at dearlandl@elevateleadership.com, and we just might feature yours in a future episode.

Learn more about our solutions at https://www.elevateleadership.com/

Connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseynehls/

Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-georgiades-84933622/

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. And leave us a review to let us know what you think.

In this episode of People Are the Worst, Lindsey and Lucy continue their exploration of leadership intelligence by tackling one of the most difficult skills modern leaders must develop: making quality decisions quickly.

In this new world of AI evolution, leaders rarely have perfect information or unlimited time. New expectations emerge almost overnight, and waiting for certainty is no longer an option. Instead, strong leaders learn how to balance thoughtful input with forward momentum so their teams can keep moving.

This conversation breaks down how leadership intelligence shows up in real decision-making moments, from prioritizing your time as a manager to knowing when performance management has run its course. Lindsey and Lucy also unpack how strategic thinking, delegation, and clarity of priorities help leaders avoid becoming the bottleneck for their teams.

You’ll hear practical frameworks for evaluating when to make a decision, how to break complex decisions into smaller reversible ones, and how leaders can create alignment so teams can move faster without sacrificing thoughtful input.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between moving too slowly and moving too fast, this episode will help you find the balance. In modern leadership, the goal isn’t perfect certainty but to build the confidence and clarity to decide confidently.

Want to Ask Us a Question? We’re taking real questions from real managers and people leaders. Email us at dearlandl@elevateleadership.com, and we just might feature yours in a future episode.

Learn more about our solutions at https://www.elevateleadership.com/

Connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseynehls/

Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-georgiades-84933622/

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. And leave us a review to let us know what you think.

What do you do when a team member comes to you with questions all day long?

In this mini episode of People Are the Worst, Lindsey and Lucy unpack a frustrating but surprisingly common leadership challenge: employees who rely on their manager for every decision.

Leaders often accidentally train this behavior. Every time a manager immediately answers a question, they reinforce the pattern. Over time, the employee learns that the fastest path forward is simply asking their manager instead of thinking through the problem themselves.

The solution is shifting from directing to coaching.

Instead of giving answers, Lindsey walks through a simple coaching framework leaders can use to help employees develop their own problem-solving skills: the GROW model. By asking questions about the goal, the current reality, possible options, and the way forward, managers guide their team members to think through solutions on their own.

It takes more time and patience upfront. But the payoff is powerful. Employees gain confidence, managers stop becoming the “human answer machine,” and teams start bringing solutions instead of just problems.

If you feel stuck answering the same questions every day, this episode offers a simple shift that can change how your team operates.

Want to Ask Us a Question? We’re taking real questions from real managers and people leaders. Email us at dearlandl@elevateleadership.com, and we just might feature yours in a future episode.

Learn more about our solutions at https://www.elevateleadership.com/

Connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseynehls/

Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-georgiades-84933622/

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. And leave us a review to let us know what you think.

In this episode of People Are the Worst, Lindsey and Lucy continue their Leadership Intelligence series by exploring a leadership challenge many managers underestimate: managing across.

Unlike managing direct reports, managing peers comes with no formal authority. No one technically has to listen to you, follow your lead, or prioritize your work. Influence becomes the only real currency.

That is where leading with curiosity becomes a powerful leadership skill.

Rather than relying on hierarchy or positional power, curious leaders ask better questions, invite ideas, and create space for collaboration. By approaching cross functional relationships with curiosity instead of control, leaders build trust, uncover better insights, and move work forward even when they cannot dictate outcomes.

In this conversation, Lindsey highlights why managing across can feel harder than managing down and why influence, not authority, becomes the defining leadership capability in modern organizations.

If you have ever struggled to align peers, navigate cross functional work, or get buy in without formal authority, this episode offers a mindset shift that can transform how you lead across teams.

Want to Ask Us a Question? We’re taking real questions from real managers and people leaders. Email us at dearlandl@elevateleadership.com, and we just might feature yours in a future episode.

Learn more about our solutions at https://www.elevateleadership.com/

Connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseynehls/

Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-georgiades-84933622/

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. And leave us a review to let us know what you think.

In this episode of People Are the Worst, Lindsey and Lucy dig into one of the most common leadership challenges: blurred boundaries between managers and their teams.

The question comes from Brock, a leader who feels stuck in the weeds and is struggling to protect his time while still supporting his team. What unfolds is a practical and grounding conversation about why boundary issues rarely come from bad intent and almost always come from unspoken expectations.

Lindsey explains that many leadership frustrations stem from implicit expectations that were never clearly articulated. When roles, ownership, and decision rights are left undefined, managers naturally step in, lines blur, and over time, resentment builds on both sides. The solution is not pulling away, but slowing down long enough to make expectations explicit.

If you feel stretched thin, this episode offers clarity without guilt and structure without rigidity.

Want to Ask Us a Question? We’re taking real questions from real managers and people leaders. Email us at dearlandl@elevateleadership.com, and we just might feature yours in a future episode.

Learn more about our solutions at https://www.elevateleadership.com/

Connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseynehls/

Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-georgiades-84933622/

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. And leave us a review to let us know what you think.

AI is changing everything, from the way we work and communicate to the pace decisions are made. And if we’re honest, traditional leadership playbooks aren’t cutting it anymore.

In this episode of People Are the Worst, Lucy and Lindsey introduce Leadership Intelligence, a modern leadership framework built for an era of change and an AI-driven, emotionally heavy world. Leadership Intelligence helps leaders to become resilient, curious, and deeply human when uncertainty is the norm.

Lindsey & Lucy outline the five core skills leaders need in the AI era:

1. Personal Resilience: Managing your inner narrative, catching negative self-talk before it nukes your confidence, and building the steadiness to lead through chaos.
2. Team Resilience: Creating psychological safety, guiding through conflict, and proactively protecting culture as teams grow and evolve.
3. Curiosity: Asking better questions, inviting dissent, and turning ambiguity into insight.
4. High-Velocity Decision Making: Balancing data, stakeholders, and process to make smart decisions without stalling momentum.
5. Staying Human: Leading with empathy, trust, and connection in a world that’s increasingly automated.

This week, they go deep on the first two: personal and team resilience.

You’ll hear practical tools such as:

1. The four-question framework to rewire negative internal chatter
2. How to make expectations explicit to protect your time and energy
3. Using Stephen Covey’s Spheres of Control to coach without absorbing emotional labor
4. Setting boundaries without guilt
5. Building culture intentionally as your company grows
6. Motivating teams through ambiguity without pretending you have all the answers

If leadership feels heavier than ever before right now, you’re not imagining it. Leadership Intelligence is how you stay grounded in it. Listen and start building the key skills you need for what’s next.

Want to Ask Us a Question? We’re taking real questions from real managers and people leaders. Email us at dearlandl@elevateleadership.com, and we just might feature yours in a future episode.

Learn more about our solutions at https://www.elevateleadership.com/

Connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseynehls/

Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-georgiades-84933622/

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. And leave us a review to let us know what you think.