CandaceDoby

Ever wished you could snag a private coaching session with me — without clearing your calendar or pulling out your wallet?

Your wish is my command.

Season 4 of The Courage Hotline podcast is gearing up. It’s the place where you get free coaching simply by asking the right question. In every podcast episode, I tackle real-world leadership challenges — no sugarcoating, just actionable insights to help professionals like you get their courage in formation, so you can take action on Monday morning.

And now, I want your tough question on the line. Think of it as crowd-sourced coaching: your burning career conundrum gets answered on-air, and everyone wins.

Record yourself in a quick voice note (30–60 seconds is plenty). Be sure to share background or context for your question, so I can serve up a tailored response.

Email your voice note to [email protected] by May 31. When you do, you’ll be entered to win FREE one-one-coaching.

Yup. One lucky submitter will score a mini coaching package: three one-on-one sessions with yours truly.

Let’s go!!

Well, that was fun!

Big thanks to Tina and Emily from Dance Studio Owners Association for inviting me to share tools of courage to help members lead and lean into hard conversations.

What a thoughtful and engaged group! The questions were sharp, specific, and showed just how much members cared about growing their business and nurturing their culture with a strong foundation of courageous communication.

What is the hardest part about being a manager?

An audience member from one of my recent programs shared that she considered giving critical feedback “the hardest part about being a manager.”

You might agree that delivering critical feedback feels risky.

What’s at risk is the loss of cooperation or harmony with the person you’re delivering the feedback to. You don’t want to be the “bad guy” or create tension between you two.

You’re afraid of losing social connection.

Giving critical feedback can also feel incredibly hard because you don’t know the right approach or strategy to deliver it.

All of this is true. AND, I’ve come to learn through my work that the difficulty starts, really, with how you view critical feedback, in the first place. You consider it as a hand-slap ... a penalty ... a dirty job. And, this mindset impacts how you approach delivery.

You may serve up a long preamble. You water down the feedback. You delegate it.

💡 But, what if you simply reframed critical feedback as a gift, rather than a “got you.”

When leaders reframe critical feedback as a gift, the entire dynamic shifts. Instead of viewing it as a punishment or confrontation, it becomes an act of service — a way to help someone grow and succeed.

✅ What if you told someone you were offering feedback because that person deserves to gain greater access to their potential?

✅ What if you signaled that your feedback was an indication of how much you respect the person you’re giving it to?

When delivered thoughtfully, critical feedback builds trust, strengthens relationships, and fuels professional growth.