Have you ever walked into a meeting already sure it was going to go badly?

Maybe someone asked for “a few minutes.” Maybe they said, “Can you close the door?”

Before they said a word, you had rehearsed the bad news, built your defense, and started wondering what comes next.

And then they told you that you did a great job.

How much energy did you spend preparing for a conversation that never happened?

This Week’s Lightning Leader: Jamie Weinbaum

I recently interviewed Jamie Weinbaum, President and CEO of Horning. It’s a multi-generational real estate company overseeing roughly 5,000 apartments across the Washington, D.C. region.

I asked Jamie my signature question:

“What did you have to amputate in order to elevate?”

His answer?

Fear of failure.

Jamie described the quiet question so many leaders carry: “Am I an imposter?”

When someone asked to close the door, his mind would race three steps ahead. They’re unhappy. I’ll have to change this. Am I going to be looking for a job?

Then the door would close, and he’d hear, “you did a great job on this topic.”

“And I exhale,” he said.

An executive coach told him to stop ignoring the fear and “call it out,” to treat it “as if it’s a piece of furniture in the room.” Look at it. Acknowledge it. Then carry forth.

That fear lost its hold.

What Jamie Does Differently Now

Jamie knows his team carries the same anxiety he once did.

So he made a decision.

“I try to not make people wait.”

When he has good news, he leads with it, sometimes before the door even closes. When he sets up a meeting, he might say, “I have some really good feedback I want to share with you.”

And he watches his people visibly relax.

“I see them exhale.”

Here’s the lesson for you:

Your employees should not have to guess where they stand with you.

Making Values Visible

Horning has four core values: Empowerment, Integrity, Community Focus, and Collaboration.

At one of the company’s annual values conferences, the team put stickers in four colors on every table, one color for each value.

Everyone was invited to stand up, find a colleague who had lived out one of those values, and put a sticker on them, with that person’s permission.

The result? Photos of people covered in empowerment and collaboration stickers.

Jamie’s point was simple. Leadership can’t see everything. Recognition is “for all of you to recognize one another.”

The Lesson Came Back to Me

When I spoke at Horning’s values conference, I arrived early and watched the group before the session started.

The camaraderie was everywhere.

People were genuinely glad to be together again to talk about what their company stands for.

I changed some of the words I had planned to say that day because I could already see those values in action in the room.

Their culture didn’t need a speaker to explain it.

It was already visible.

Your Lightning Challenge

Jamie admitted he still has work to do. His next amputation is “the urge to jump in when asked and called upon.”

He gets “swept up in what’s urgent” and sometimes misses what’s important.

Sound familiar?

Now it’s your turn.

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Let’s Have a Conversation

What’s ONE leadership habit you’re ready to amputate?

Hit reply. I’d love to hear your answer.

Remember, your people should never have to guess.

Release limits. Decide boldly. Inspire your world.

John Register

Lightning Leaders | Lead When the Moment Strikes