Throwback Thursday: She Lifted Her Shirt. I Lost My Words.

What’s Your Wildest “I Wish I Knew” Story?

Break room banter about tattoos was all fun and games until one of the women stood up, lifted her shirt, and pulled down her bra, revealing her latest ink. I was barely 20, newly promoted, and absolutely mortified. Not a single word came to mind. I did the only thing I could think of, which involved panicking and shutting down the break time. 

What I learned: You can absolutely shut down an entire team without saying a single word. 

What I wish I knew: If I truly valued her or my team, I would have had the awkward, uncomfortable, totally necessary conversation. 

Now that I teach this stuff, I can laugh at the mess I was in. So let’s have some fun. What’s your “well THAT wasn’t in the manual” leadership moment? 

Want to help your team handle the moments no one warns you about? Check out our leadership courses at Level Up Enterprises — where we teach the real stuff no one puts in the handbook. 

That shocking moment (and wishing you knew how to react)