145: "What Would You Want From Your Manager If You Survived a Layoff?" ft. Alli Murphy

Mass layoffs, uncertainty, and pressure to perform—this conversation tackles one of the hardest realities leaders face: guiding a team through chaos when you don’t have answers yourself. 

Erik and Alli unpack what leadership actually looks like in these moments—less about strategy, more about humanity. From one-on-one conversations to sitting in discomfort, this episode challenges the instinct to “fix” and instead reframes leadership as presence, trust, and intentional communication. 

🧭 Conversation Highlights

• Lead One Human at a Time
   In moments of disruption, mass communication isn’t enough. Real leadership happens in one-on-one conversations where people feel seen and heard. 
• Resist the Urge to Solve Too Fast
   The instinct to fix everything immediately can backfire. Leaders need to create space before jumping into solutions. 
• “Sit in the Suck” Is a Strategy
   Avoiding discomfort delays progress. Acknowledging frustration, anger, and uncertainty is a necessary step—not a weakness. 
• Different People, Different Reactions
   Not everyone experiences layoffs the same way—some feel fear, others relief, others guilt. Leadership requires listening, not projecting. 
• Vulnerability Builds Trust—If Done Right
   Leaders don’t need all the answers, but they do need honesty. Sharing uncertainty (without spiraling) strengthens credibility. 

💡 Key Takeaways

• Connection beats communication. People don’t need perfect answers—they need to feel understood. 
• Listening is the leadership move. Especially when you don’t have control, your presence matters more than your solutions. 
• Emotions aren’t a distraction—they’re the work. Ignoring them creates bigger problems later. 
• Preparation isn’t just tactical—it’s relational. Trust built before a crisis determines how well you lead through it. 
• Great leaders run toward the fire. Avoidance erodes trust. Presence builds it. 

❓ Questions That Mattered

• What would you want from your manager if you were still there after layoffs? 
• How do you lead when you don’t have answers? 
• Are you listening to your team—or projecting your own fears onto them? 
• What happens when empathy turns into avoidance? 
• How do you prepare for a crisis you can’t predict? 
• What impact is your team actually making—and who knows about it? 
• If cuts happened tomorrow, who would be most at risk—and why? 
• Where have you avoided giving feedback that could have changed someone’s trajectory? 

🗣️ Notable Quotes

• “You don’t have the answers—and that might be the thing that earns you the most trust.” 
• “When something catastrophic happens, it requires a one-on-one human touch.” 
• “Sit in the suck before you try to solve it.” 
• “Just because you feel something doesn’t mean your team feels the same way.” 
• “The best leaders run into the fire—and treat the humans in it with them appropriately.” 

🔗 Links & Resources

• Listen to other episodes co-hosted with Alli