The idea that it is not lonely at the top connects directly to the idea that we can all learn once we engage in conversation – ask the people in the room. If it’s lonely at the top, you’re doing something wrong. Since joining Fierce in 2017, first as CFO and later as CEO, Beltran has leveraged his love for technology, finance, and communication, as well as his education that includes an MBA from University of Michigan and certificates in programs from Wharton and Harvard, to develop an integrated approach for Fierce that has had clients and the rest of the industry noticing. Fierce Inc. has worked with over 60% of the Fortune 500 companies, won multiple awards, put together a series of strategic partnerships, and has been featured in the likes of CNBC, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fast Company, and HR.com where he also serves on their advisory board. Fierce Conversations dwells on the act of listening. We must learn to listen to what others are saying and reflect on what is said, rather than engage our minds in what we will say next or allow our mind to wander while someone else is speaking. Susan emphasizes that if a topic is brought up by someone else, even though it may appear to be pointless or off-topic to us, it must be important to them or have some deeper meaning related to the issue at hand. Without being a good listener, we cannot properly identify the issue and therefore progress with meaningless talking or blowing of hot air with little, to no, content.

It’s not our thoughts or feelings that get us into trouble…It’s our attachment to them, our belief that we are right.” Successes and failures don’t happen overnight. Our relationships, organizations, and careers are shaped one conversation at a time, until they cross a tipping point to suddenly bloom or collapse. A failed marriage or business comes from the cumulative effect of conversations you’ve had (or avoided) over months or even years. Edward Jason Beltran is a contributor to Forbes and Fast Company and is the architect of what some media have referred to as one of the most important employee wellbeing initiatives in recent years – the disruptive app Pulse by Fierce, due to be released in fall of 2022. One major aspect though is the author does assume an educated audience who are confident and mentally healthy. She doesn't really cover the problems of low self esteem or mental instability as factors in conversation.Your impact or legacy as a leader is the sum of the emotional wakes you leave behind. What will your legacy be? How do you want people to remember you when you’re gone? Learn to create positive emotional wakes and minimize negative ones. Principle 7: Use Silence Purposefully Armed with the seven principles that have benefited thousands of CEOs and leaders, combined with updated and additional skills to navigate the current and future technological communication landscape, readers can make practical changes that will help them succeed.

A redefining of “accountability” and a very different approach to creating a culture of “if it’s to be, it’s up to me.” Actively engaging myself in a healthy relationship with my co-workers by exploring fierce conversations and building relationships upon them. Think about when you are not that thing, and recognize multiple realities about how each of us show up in the world, not just when we are at our best.

DEPARTMENT LEADERS

When speaking to people one-on-one to resolve an issue, it’s important to have a well-planned and thought out opening statement which, as Susan suggested, should last 60 seconds. Susan stated that there are ten components of the confrontation model, and they are: Allow time for clarifying questions (don’t let solutions providers jump in with ideas too early in the process) Don’t start with”truthfully…, frankly.., or honestly…” because it implies you were not speaking truthfully or whatever leading up to this point With real conversations, you have the power to change your relationship before the conversation even ends. 3. Be here, prepared to be nowhere else To interrogate reality means to understand your own beliefs and question if they are working for you and your relationship or not.

I have been processing this book in conversation with a couple of friends and my wife. I think that the highest praise that I can give this book is that it provokes self-reflection and an honest assessment of the ways that I can improve as a leader. It simultaneously honours and solidifies things I know about myself and my leadership while pushing me on to consider how I can grow and develop for the future. While no single conversation is guaranteed to change the trajectory of a career, a company, a relationship, or a life, any single conversation can.” Susan explained removing the word “but” from our vocabulary; the reason for this being, if we began a statement with a compliment and then use the term “but” as a transition, this may lead the other person to believe that we just used that as an opener in attempt to keep their guard down. Instead, use the term “and” as a transition in this type of situation to show that not only is what we first said true, the next statement is also true. I explained this to a potential employer at one point during an interview I had went through, and he replied with, “You’re right. Whenever we say the word ‘but’ everything else we just said before then gets forgotten and thrown out the window.”In her talk titled: “The Case for Radical Transparency”, Susan said, “If you’re a leader, understand that it is not lonely at the top. Or shouldn’t be. You will not, cannot single handedly cause or prevent success…The answers are in the room. We have them. Get the right people in the room and ask for our help.” As a man of faith, I believe that there are many things that Scott talks about around fear, honesty, integrity, and leadership that reverberate in my heart and have sunk deep. Even though I have 'finished' this book, I will continue to reflect, revisit, and remind myself of the truths inside. My first step: writing my 30-second stump speech for leadership in my next steps. Susan compiled a short list of questions to help us come to terms with and interrogate our own reality. Some of these are:

An example of what to say if you have a secret concern..”It’s not that easy. I’m worryied that you’ll be put off by what I want to ask you, so I want you to know that I’m prepared to be dead wrong about this” During the conversations you have with your partner, start to notice the little voice that is speaking to you. It may be about things that interest you in the conversation or questions you want to ask, but don’t. Sometimes, no amount of research or fact-finding can help you to answer questions like: “Is this right or wrong?” Listen to your inner voice. Chances are, you already know the answer deep inside.What was learned? – use this point to make understanding on how the issue being discussed will be resolved and the methods for achieving resolution. Make an agreement – make an agreement with the person and determine how you will hold each other responsible for keeping it. Notes from the book- overall the book has good ideas but was not about fierce conversations until about chapter 7. Better idea than was executed Being a good communicator helps a lot in any job. It also helps a lot in life. Yet reality shows that the majority of us are not naturally great at it – most tv series and motion pictures count on human inability to express thoughts and feelings correctly in the construction of their scripts. For everybody not in show business, the communication gaps and misunderstandings are sources of grief and frustration. Some of the chapters were long and contained information that could potentially be a chapter of its own.