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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 golajiving. This

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<v Speaker 1>is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellavledo.

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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 five twenty one. Today's episode hits a little

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<v Speaker 2>closer to the heart. It's about something every leader, friend,

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<v Speaker 2>and human being will face at some point. It's about

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<v Speaker 2>what we do when someone we know loses someone they love,

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<v Speaker 2>a family member, a close friend, or even a pet.

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<v Speaker 2>When loss happens, most of us go into what I'll

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<v Speaker 2>call default sympathy mode. We grab a card, We order flowers.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe we send an angel statue or a memorial lantern

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<v Speaker 2>with an inspirational quote. We sign our name, maybe add

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<v Speaker 2>thinking of you, and we send it off. It's not wrong,

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<v Speaker 2>it's kind, it's thoughtful, But sometimes it's not what that

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<v Speaker 2>person truly needs, because more often than not, what that

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<v Speaker 2>person is really craving isn't presence. Its presence. Let's be honest.

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<v Speaker 2>Grief is an isolating experience. The world keeps spinning, but

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<v Speaker 2>for the person who's hurting, time feels frozen. They wake

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<v Speaker 2>up in a quiet house, the chair at the table

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<v Speaker 2>is empty, the leash is hanging by the door, but

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<v Speaker 2>there's no one to take for a walk. It's the

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<v Speaker 2>little moments that hit the hardest, and that's when your

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<v Speaker 2>presence can mean more than anything wrapped in a bow

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<v Speaker 2>or written in a card. And sometimes the most powerful

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<v Speaker 2>thing you can do as a leader or as a

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<v Speaker 2>friend is just show up. Sit next to them, don't

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<v Speaker 2>try to fix anything, don't start with the cliches, just

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<v Speaker 2>be there. You don't need to have the right words.

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<v Speaker 2>In fact, there are no right words. Saying I don't

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<v Speaker 2>even know what to say, but I'm here can be

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<v Speaker 2>one of the most comforting things that you'll ever offer.

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<v Speaker 2>This is where emotional intelligence meets human connections. It's easy

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<v Speaker 2>to sign a condolence card from the team and move

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<v Speaker 2>on with your day, but leadership isn't just about task

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<v Speaker 2>lists in productivity. It's about people, real people with real

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<v Speaker 2>lives who sometimes need a hand on their shoulder more

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<v Speaker 2>than a signature on a card. If a member of

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<v Speaker 2>your team loses someone, don't assume the group gesture covers it,

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<v Speaker 2>stop by their office, call them, take them for coffee,

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<v Speaker 2>give them time to talk or not talk. Presence is

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<v Speaker 2>a quiet leadership skill that doesn't show up on your resume,

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<v Speaker 2>but it's the one that people remember most when life

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<v Speaker 2>falls apart. Think about the times that you've gone through loss.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe it was apparent, maybe it was your dog who

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<v Speaker 2>was with you for fourteen years. Who do you remember most?

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<v Speaker 2>The person who sent you a card or the one

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<v Speaker 2>who sat with you when you couldn't find the words.

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<v Speaker 2>There's a lesson here that goes beyond grief. Leadership isn't

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<v Speaker 2>just showing up when it's convenient. It's showing up when

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<v Speaker 2>it's uncomfortable, when the room is heavy, when emotions are raw.

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<v Speaker 2>That's when people see your character, not your title. If

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<v Speaker 2>you lead a team, here's a challenge for you. The

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<v Speaker 2>next time someone on your team faces a loss. Pause

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<v Speaker 2>before you do the usual, ask yourself, what would help

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<v Speaker 2>this person feel seen and supported. Maybe that means a visit.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe it means giving them the space to take a

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<v Speaker 2>few days without guilt. Maybe it means checking in again

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<v Speaker 2>a few weeks later, long after the cards have stopped

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<v Speaker 2>coming in. Because presence doesn't have an expiration date, the

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<v Speaker 2>grief doesn't end after the funeral, and neither should your compassion.

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<v Speaker 2>So as leaders, our presence has power. It tells people

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<v Speaker 2>you matter, it says you're not alone, and in moments

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<v Speaker 2>of loss, that message carries more weight than any thing

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<v Speaker 2>that money can buy. So remember this. Sometimes your silence,

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<v Speaker 2>you're listening, your simple presence in someone's hardest moments. Those

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<v Speaker 2>are the real gifts, not the presence you buy and

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<v Speaker 2>can hold, but the ones you can feel. 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