We all want to be seen as kind leaders. But too often, we confuse kindness with niceness.

In this week's episode of The Manager Track, I talk with leadership strategist and executive coach Andrea Wanerstrand, founder of A3 Culture Lab. Andrea spent more than 25 years inside Microsoft, Meta, and T-Mobile studying what helps leaders earn trust and build strong teams and what quietly erodes it.

We unpack why niceness often comes from our own need to be liked, how that habit shows up in feedback conversations, and what it takes to replace "people-pleasing" with courage, clarity, and care. Andrea also shares her A3 framework that helps teams grow without the manager becoming a bottleneck.

If you've ever softened feedback to keep the peace or avoided a hard conversation to protect a relationship, this one's worth your time.

Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Andrea Wanerstrand's website: https://a3culturelab.com
• Andrea Wanerstand's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreawanerstrand
• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Let us know what you think by sending an email to [email protected]
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

• Episode 215 - How to Transform Good Teams Into Excellent Ones - With Rusty Komori
• Episode 127 - How to Lead a Thriving Team with Kirstin Moorefield

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

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