🎙️ LL11: Beyond the Sandwich – Leading with Radical Candor

What if the most powerful leadership tool isn’t inspiration—but honesty?

In this episode of the Gold Standard Leadership Lab, Daniel unpacks the outdated “feedback sandwich” and explores a more courageous, human-centered approach: Radical Candor. Drawing from real-life leadership moments, he shares what happens when we lead with emotional intelligence, earn the right to be direct, and embrace discomfort as a path to team growth.

You’ll learn:

Why the sandwich method often does more harm than good

The difference between entitled candor and earned candor

Daniel’s 4 C’s of Trust that unlock authentic leadership

How to build a culture of psychological safety, one conversation at a time

The ripple effect of truth-telling that strengthens teams and delivers better client outcomes

This episode challenges leaders to move beyond surface-level management and toward intentional, high-integrity leadership that fuels performance, trust, and transformation.

🔑 Key Quotes:

“Candor isn’t confrontation. It’s connection—the deepest form of professional respect we can offer.”

“Real feedback doesn’t hide behind technique—it builds trust through consistency and care.”

📌 Resources & Mentions:

Kim Scott’s Radical Candor

Amy Edmondson’s work on Psychological Safety

The 4 C’s of Trust: Competence, Character, Care, Consistency

💬 Let’s Connect:

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a colleague or post a takeaway on LinkedIn using #GoldStandardLeadership and tag @DanielGold.

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