"Ask, Don't Tell": Leadership That Builds Ownership | Tracey Grove
Tracey Grove says the best leaders ask before they tell. In this episode she explains why and how question-led leadership builds ownership in a team while answer-led leadership builds dependency.
Tracey is a leadership consultant, executive coach, and the founder of Pure Symmetry Coaching and Consulting. She frames trust as behavior multiplied by time, and she makes the case that character is what shows up when things go wrong or when no one is watching. From there, the conversation moves through:
- The difference between being kind and being nice, and why withholding honest feedback is a disservice to the person you think you are protecting
- A story about a brilliant team member whose delivery was hurting her team, and the conversation that turned it around
- Practical ways to lead across cultures without stereotyping
- Inviting honest feedback when a real power gap exists, especially on remote teams
- Communicating through uncertainty
- Why mission, vision, and values belong in everyday language
About Tracey Grove
Tracey Grove is an award-winning executive coach, author, and leadership development consultant. She is the founder of Pure Symmetry Coaching and Consulting, where she applies organizational psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive behavioral approaches to help leaders build trust, communicate with clarity, and lead with consistency. A Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation, Tracey previously held communications leadership roles at Microsoft and has taught the practice of resilient leadership to audiences around the world. She is the author of Taming the Sabertooth: Resilient Leadership in a Stressful World.
๐ Traceyโs resources and books can be found here:
Taming the Sabertooth: https://puresymmetry.com/book-1
Pure Symmetry: https://puresymmetry.com
Connect with Tracey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceygrove
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About the Host:
David Kent is the host of The Lead Smarter Podcast, where he has honest, grounded conversations with leaders shaping the future of work, leadership, and organizational growth.
๐๏ธ Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/xaB6OCsBW1k
๐ Follow David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-james-kent/
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Building trust and honest communication on a distributed team is the kind of work we help clients with at Unbottleneck. If that challenge is on your desk right now, you can book a call with David here: https://cal.com/david-kent/meeting-with-david-kent-unbottleneck
