Are you trying to solve human problems with spreadsheets and logic? When you are an analytical leader in the tech space, your instinct is to rely on data. But when a project stalls, a client becomes contentious, or your top performers start disengaging—no amount of logic or data will fix the friction. In fact, ignoring the squishy emotional reality of your team is one of the most expensive operational mistakes a company can make. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I, Michael Hunter, sit down with Melissa Franks—Founder of On Call COO. As someone who has successfully managed $100M+ portfolios and led major global transformations for Fortune 100 companies, Melissa knows exactly what it takes to scale an organization. Her secret? Operationalizing empathy. In this conversation, Melissa and I give our two cents on concepts like:

• How to stop fighting your team's human nature and start leveraging it
• A framework for diffusing high-conflict meetings
• How to build an internal Executive Council to make better intuitive decisions
• And why retaining your team by aligning them with their innate strengths is the ultimate growth strategy

Episode Chapters 0:00 Welcome to the Uncommon Leadership Podcast 4:10 How to Be Vulnerable (Without Oversharing) 6:15 The Strengths Audit: Are You in the Right Role? 7:30 The Same Side of the Table Strategy for Conflict Resolution 11:15 How to Stop Micromanaging 14:45 How to Trust Your Gut When Making Decisions 21:20 Why Soft Skills Are the Best Cost-Saving Measure 26:15 How to Tell if You Need a Career Pivot 31:30 The Management Myth: Why It's Like Becoming a Parent 36:10 The Corporate Ladder vs. The Career Jungle Gym 41:45 Closing Advice for Tech Executives If you are a leader who excels at systems but struggles with the messy reality of managing people, this episode is exactly what you need to lead with ease. Subscribe to the Uncommon Leadership Podcast for weekly conversations on navigating the complexity of human systems at work. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Brought to you by Uncommon Teams -- About the speakers Melissa Franks | Guest Speaker Melissa Franks is the Founder of On Call COO and an experienced Technology and Operations Executive. Formerly the COO of Allianz Technology of America, she has successfully managed $100M+ portfolios, led global mergers, and guided major organizational changes. Today, she helps CEOs clear obstacles, align their teams, and grow sustainably without burning out their top talent. Connect with Melissa Franks

• Website: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservices
• Work with Melissa: https://www.melissafranks.com/contact
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissafranks/

Michael Hunter | Podcast Host Michael Hunter is an Executive Coach, Consultant, and Author of The Resilient Tech Leader. With over three decades of experience at companies like Microsoft and Salesforce, his career has followed a simple progression: he started by debugging code, spent years debugging teams, and now helps leaders learn how to debug themselves. He helps analytical tech leaders navigate the quiet complexity of their organizations, proving that the most important systems in tech aren't written in code—they're written in people. Connect with Michael Hunter:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/
• Website: https://uncommonteams.com/
• Newsletter: https://uncommonteams.com/newsletter-archive/
• Read the book: https://uncommonteams.com/resilient-leader-workbook/
• Work with Michael Hunter: https://uncommonteams.com/work-with-me/