Things Leaders Do
Things Leaders Do is the go-to podcast for leaders who want real, actionable strategies—not just theory. Whether you're a new leader stepping into management or a seasoned executive refining your skills, host Colby Morris delivers practical tools and processes you can start using today to lead with confidence, clarity, and impact.
Each episode breaks down key leadership topics with humor, insight, and real-world application, covering:
✅ How to communicate effectively and build trust in your team
✅ The secrets to high-performance leadership and team culture
✅ Handling setbacks and leading under pressure
✅ How to be a people-first leader without losing accountability
✅ Mastering the balance between strategy, execution, and influence
No fluff. No vague concepts. Just tactical advice that helps you grow as a leader and drive real results in your business or organization.
Subscribe now and join thousands of leaders leveling up their skills. Because leadership isn’t about what you say—it’s about what you do.
🔑 Keywords: leadership, leadership development, new managers, executive coaching, team culture, business growth, personal development, management strategies, communication skills, success, accountability, productivity
Things Leaders Do
Leading Through Bad News: How to Lead with Clarity, Compassion, and Trust
Leading Through Bad News: How to Lead with Clarity, Compassion, and Trust
Episode Description:
How do you lead when the news is bad—layoffs, downsizing, even tragedy in the workplace?
In this episode of Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris shares three essential tools to help leaders navigate the toughest moments with clarity, compassion, and trust. Grounded in the wisdom of Brené Brown—“Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”—this episode is a blueprint for delivering hard news without damaging your culture or credibility.
Whether you’re preparing for difficult conversations or leading your team through uncertainty, this episode delivers practical leadership moves you can use immediately.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to communicate bad news with honesty and empathy
- What to do when you don’t have all the answers
- How to build trust and stability when your team needs it most
- Why silence and corporate spin erode leadership credibility
- Leadership habits that preserve culture during crisis
About the Host:
Colby Morris is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of Things Leaders Do. He helps leaders build trust, drive performance, and lead with clarity—especially in high-stakes environments.
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colbymorris
Learn more at: nxtstepadvisors.com (That’s N-X-T, no E)
Welcome to Things Leaders Do, the podcast that uncovers the secrets of becoming an extraordinary leader. If you're a leader who's constantly seeking growth, inspiration and tangible ways to level up your leadership, then you've come to the right place. Remember, the world needs exceptional leaders, and that leader is you. Now here's your host, colby Morris.
Speaker 2:Hello leaders, welcome back to the TLD Podcast. I'm Colby Morris and my saying here is that leadership isn't about titles, it's about action. I've led from the trenches to the top and I'm here with practical, no BS tools that you can use today. I want to start this episode with a quote from Brene Brown. Brene said clear is kind, unclear is unkind. If you've ever had to deliver bad news as a leader layoffs, downsizing, tragedy in the workplace you know exactly what this means. When things get messy, they get painful or uncertain. The worst thing you can do is go quiet or sugarcoat it. In hard moments, your team doesn't need spin. They need you. They need honesty, presence, humanity.
Speaker 2:Today we're talking about how great leaders handle the worst kinds of news. I'm giving you three practical tools to help you communicate with clarity, lead with empathy and keep your team anchored when everything feels like it's shifting underneath them, because in those moments, trust is tested, your culture is tested and the leader you're center stage, whether you like it or not. So let's dive in. Tool number one I want you to say the hard thing with clarity and compassion. Look, let's be real. Most leaders don't struggle with having bad news. They struggle with saying it. The discomfort is real. You don't. You don't want to panic your team, you don't. You don't want to hurt anyone. You want to leave room for hope. So what happens? You dodge, you dance, you deliver half truths covered in buzzwords and in trying not to hurt people, you end up doing more damage. Let me say this loud your team deserves clarity, not comfort. Yikes. In tough moments, kindness isn't about sparing feelings. It's about telling the truth with respect and courage.
Speaker 2:Here's how to say the hard thing. Well, first, be direct but human. We're downsizing, that's honest. We're right-sizing, that's corporate spin. People can smell that a mile away. Two, use plain language. Okay, ditch the buzzwords. Say what's happening, why it's happening and how it impacts them. And then, three, acknowledge the emotion, say I know this is hard, I know this hurts. I'm feeling it too. Don't pretend it's business as usual.
Speaker 2:I once had to lay off a third of my team after a massive contract fell through. I didn't sleep the night before. I wanted to soften it, to use that corporate speak, pad it with the future promises, but I didn't. I stood in front of the team and said this is going to be one of the hardest things I've ever said as a leader. We're letting people go. Today. I told them why, I told them who, I told them how we were going to support those impacted. It was brutal but honest, and that honesty it preserved trust with those who stayed. So here's your leadership move If hard news is coming, script it, say it out loud, make it clear, make it real, make it human before you ever step into that room. If hard news is coming, script it, say it out loud, all right. Tool.
Speaker 2:Number two Be present, even when you don't have all the answers. Here's where a lot of leaders flinch. They think if they don't have the fix, they don't have the right to show up. That's a lie. One of the worst things you can do in a crisis is disappear when things go quiet. Your team doesn't assume you're planning. They assume you don't care. Presence is leadership. Just showing up, even awkwardly, even clumsy, sends a message. I'm with you in this. Clumsy sends a message. I'm with you in this. Here's how to stay present through the pain. Number one show up anyway. You don't need a perfect plan. You just need to be there, physically, emotionally, mentally. Two hold space, let your team feel what they're feeling. Don't fix it, just be with them in it. And three say I don't know. If you don't have the answer, own it. I don't know yet, but I'll keep you informed. That builds more trust than a fake roadmap.
Speaker 2:A few years back, a team I was working with lost a colleague like very unexpectedly. It was shocking and it was devastating. The senior leader didn't know what to say, so he avoided the office for three days. Man, you could feel the disconnect the team felt abandoned. Finally, he came in and simply said I didn't know how to show up, so I didn't, and that was a mistake. At least he owned it. From there, everything changed. He started checking in, hosting conversations, inviting stories, grief instead of trying to avoid it. That vulnerability healed what silence had broken your leadership move.
Speaker 2:Show up, even if you're unsure. Your presence means more than your plan. And then, tool number three create anchors of stability and care. Look, chaos makes people feel unsafe. Tragedy makes people feel untethered. The unknown makes people spiral. In those moments, your role as a leader isn't to fix everything. It's to become a steady hand in that storm. Your job is to give your team something solid, okay, something to hold on to when the rest of the ground feels like it's shaking.
Speaker 2:Structure doesn't remove pain, but it helps people move through it. I want you to see how to create the stability in the storm. See how to create the stability in the storm. Number one communicate early and often. Don't wait for the perfect message. Keep people informed. Even if the update is, we're still waiting.
Speaker 2:Two offer structure In times of loss or layoffs. Create clarity what's changing, what is staying the same, what's next? And three care loudly. Provide mental health resources. Offer time off. Give people space to process. Don't assume they're fine. Ask.
Speaker 2:We went through a company-wide restructuring several years back. We launched daily 10-minute stand-ups, not to talk strategy, but just to check in. People cried, some people vented, some days silence, no one talked, but they showed up. That routine, it became a lifeline. It told the team you're not alone, we're still here and we're going to walk through this together.
Speaker 2:Your leadership move start a check-in rhythm this week. Keep it simple, be consistent and, for God's sake, be real. So what's next? You don't need to be perfect in the hard moments, but you do need to be clear, you need to be present, you need to be caring. So let me say it plainly Leadership in crisis is not about having the right words scripted in advance.
Speaker 2:It's about showing up, even when your voice is shaking. It's about saying the thing everyone is thinking but afraid to admit. And it's about staying, not just delivering the news and disappearing. This is where your culture is tested Not in the all-hands meetings with the big goals and the high fives, but in these quiet moments right after a layoff In the Monday morning, after a strategy, in the hallway conversations, when people are wondering are we okay? And make no mistake, they're watching you, they're listening for how you respond, they're taking notes on whether your values show up in your actions. So pick one of the tools we talked about today and move on it.
Speaker 2:Don't wait for HR to issue a statement or for things to magically blow over. That's not leadership. That's avoidance dressed up in a button down. Be the one who says this is hard and I'm here for it. Be the one who brings honesty into the room instead of letting silence rot trust. Be the one who makes people feel seen in their grief, in their confusion or their fear. Start the conversations, keep the doors open, show up again and again and again, because clarity is kindness and consistency is leadership. Bad news doesn't destroy trust, but hiding from it does.
Speaker 2:If you ever need help navigating these moments. Let's talk. I run workshops, coaching sessions, trainings to help leaders lead through the mess, not around it. As always, you can find me on LinkedIn or you can visit nextstepadvisorscom. That's N-X-T. There's no E in there. So here's the ask If this episode hits you right where you lead, share it. Share it with someone navigating hard conversations. Share it with a leader who's been quiet because they don't know what to say. Or, better yet, start the conversation with your team. Ask them how are we doing really. Ask them, how are we doing really? Okay. And if you need a sounding board, someone to walk through the mess with you, reach out until next time. Lead with truth, okay. Lead with heart. Lead when it's hard, not just when it's easy. And you know why? Because those are the things that leaders do.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to things leaders do. If you're looking for more tips on how to be a better leader, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and listen to next week's episode. Until next time, keep working on being a better leader by doing the things that leaders do.