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<v Speaker 1>Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of

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<v Speaker 1>performance through strong human relations, team building and gola GV.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host

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<v Speaker 1>Paul Fellovledo.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.

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<v Speaker 2>It's episode six oh two. Today we're talking about something

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<v Speaker 2>that sounds uncomfortable on purpose, conducting a pre mortem to

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<v Speaker 2>avoid disaster. Now, most leaders love post mortems or debriefings

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<v Speaker 2>or a hotwash. Something goes sideways, The team gathers, everyone

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<v Speaker 2>points at what happened, lessons learned, action items written down,

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<v Speaker 2>and then life moves on. That feels responsible, it feels organized.

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<v Speaker 2>It also happens too late. A pre mortem flips that

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<v Speaker 2>entire idea on its head. A pre mortem asks a

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<v Speaker 2>simple but powerful question before you launch, decide, announce, or

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<v Speaker 2>execute anything important. Imagine it failed completely, publicly, expensively. Now

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<v Speaker 2>explain why that question alone has saved more teams, careers,

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<v Speaker 2>and organizations than any glossy strategy deck ever will. Here's

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<v Speaker 2>why this matters. Leaders are wired for optimism. You do

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<v Speaker 2>not get promoted by assuming things will fall apart. You

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<v Speaker 2>rise by believing you can make it work. That belief

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<v Speaker 2>is useful, but unchecked optimism blinds leaders to weak points,

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<v Speaker 2>silent risks, and uncomfortable truths sitting right in front of them.

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<v Speaker 2>A pre mortem forces you to look at your plan

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<v Speaker 2>from the future, standing in the wreckage, asking what you missed.

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<v Speaker 2>This isn't negativity, This is leadership maturity. Picture a leadership

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<v Speaker 2>team rolling out a major change, new software, a new structure,

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<v Speaker 2>or a new policy or a new direction. Everyone nods,

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<v Speaker 2>everyone agrees. Silence fills the room. That silence is not alignment.

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<v Speaker 2>That silences fear, politeness, or even exhaustion. A pre mortem

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<v Speaker 2>breaks that silence safely. You say, fast forward six months.

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<v Speaker 2>This failed. Our reputation took a hit. Our people are frustrated,

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<v Speaker 2>our budget is bleeding. Why did this fall apart? Now

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<v Speaker 2>something interesting happens. People speak up. The quiet concerns come out.

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<v Speaker 2>The issues that were parked in side conversation's surface. The

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<v Speaker 2>risks you felt but could not articulate, suddenly have language,

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<v Speaker 2>and that is leadership gold. Here's a key rule. You

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<v Speaker 2>do not run a pre mortem to assigned blame. You

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<v Speaker 2>run it to expose reality. If people think honestly will

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<v Speaker 2>be punished. The exercise fails. The leader sets the tone.

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<v Speaker 2>By inviting criticism of the plan, including their own decisions.

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<v Speaker 2>You might hear things like the timeline was unrealistic, training

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<v Speaker 2>was rushed, we underestimated resistance, the vendor oversold, communication was confusing,

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<v Speaker 2>and accountability was unclear. None of that feels good to hear.

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<v Speaker 2>All of it is cheaper to hear now than later.

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<v Speaker 2>A strong pre mortem has structure, not chaos. First, set

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<v Speaker 2>the scenario. Be specific, not someday. This might fail. Say

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<v Speaker 2>it clearly, it is six months from now and this

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<v Speaker 2>initiative failed hard. Second, and give people space to think independently.

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<v Speaker 2>Ask them to write down reasons quietly before discussions start.

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<v Speaker 2>This prevents groupthink and stops the loudest voice from dominating

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<v Speaker 2>the room. Third, collect everything without debate, no defending, no explaining,

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<v Speaker 2>no fixing. Yet your job is to listen. Fourth, sort

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<v Speaker 2>the risks. Some are controllable, some are warnings, some are

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<v Speaker 2>red flags that may stop the project entirely. And here

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<v Speaker 2>is where leadership courage shows up. If a pre mortem

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<v Speaker 2>reveals a fatal flaw, you do not power through anyway

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<v Speaker 2>just to save face. You pause, adjust, or pull the plug.

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<v Speaker 2>That's not weakness. That is accountability in real time, and

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<v Speaker 2>this is where red key leadership shows up again. Routine

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<v Speaker 2>decisions can survive optimism, high consequence to se decisions require discomfort.

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<v Speaker 2>A pre mortem is a red key move because it

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<v Speaker 2>forces leaders to own outcomes before they happen and let

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<v Speaker 2>me be blunt. Most disasters were predictable, not perfectly, but enough.

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<v Speaker 2>Someone saw it coming, someone mentioned it quietly, someone felt

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<v Speaker 2>uneasy and ignored it. Pre mortems give those instincts a voice.

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<v Speaker 2>They also build trust. When your team sees you asking

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<v Speaker 2>what could go wrong, they know you care about doing

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<v Speaker 2>it right, not just looking right. That credibility carries weight

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<v Speaker 2>long after the meeting ends. You can use this tool anywhere,

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<v Speaker 2>strategic planning, hiring decisions, promotions, mergers, crisis preparation, even personal

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<v Speaker 2>leadership choices. Ask yourself, if this backfires, what did I overlook?

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<v Speaker 2>That question alone sharpens judgment. This is also a time

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<v Speaker 2>discipline tool. Seven intentional minutes spent running a pre mortem

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<v Speaker 2>can save months of cleanup, stress, and damage control. That

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<v Speaker 2>is the entire philosophy behind this podcast. Leadership is not

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<v Speaker 2>about predicting the future. It is about respecting risk enough

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<v Speaker 2>to prepare for it. The leaders who avoid disaster are

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<v Speaker 2>not lucky, they are honest early. So here is your

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<v Speaker 2>challenge for this week. Pick one upcoming decision that matters,

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<v Speaker 2>and before you act, run a pre mortem. Invite people

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<v Speaker 2>in talk with them, sit with the discomfort, and adjust

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<v Speaker 2>the plan if you have to. You're not looking for perfection,

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<v Speaker 2>you are looking for blind spots. How strong leaders stay

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<v Speaker 2>standing while others are explaining what went wrong. This has

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<v Speaker 2>been the seven Minute Leadership Podcast and I thank you

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<v Speaker 2>for listening.

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<v Speaker 1>For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot

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<v Speaker 1>com