[00:00:00] Janet Taggart: Well, in our work environments, we still have the opportunity, and honestly, we actually have the need to show and tell. The truth is, most people around us are absorbed in their own worlds. If we wanna be seen and valued, we must intentionally show the difference we are making and tell how and why our work matters.

[00:00:33] Stephanie Willmore: Welcome to the Leadership Transformations podcast. I’m your host, Stephanie Wilmore, accountability coach with Peridot Circle Consulting. In this podcast, we explore real-life situation with the help of our two founders and principal consultants, Janet Taggart and Linda Linfield. Today, we are joined by Janet Taggart.

[00:00:53] Janet specializes in empowering leadership transformations from the inside out, coaching aspiring to executive leaders to become known for their highest value. Thank you for joining us again, Janet.

[00:01:04] Janet Taggart: Great to be here, Stephanie. 

[00:01:06] Stephanie Willmore: And today we’re going to be talking about something that’s actually rather nostalgic, but that is also deeply relevant to anyone looking to grow in leadership, and that is the concept of show and tell. Janet, let’s dive in. What is that all about? 

[00:01:22] Janet Taggart: Yes. This idea really takes me back, Stephanie. In my personal library, I have a great little book entitled, “Everything I Need To Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Do you remember that book? It’s based on the premise that the most vital skills for success in life are actually those we learned in our earlier years.

[00:01:42] In kindergarten, a favorite activity for all, but the shyest among us, was weekly show and tell or sharing time. That morning, we each got to stand and show something that was delightful to us. And we got to talk about it. It was so exciting and maybe a bit terrifying. For some, the showing was the fun part. For others, the telling was what they relished. 

[00:02:07] Stephanie Willmore: I love that memory. I think anybody can think about show and tell, and it takes you back to a specific time with this specific thing that they were very proud of. But how does that translate into leadership in the workplace? 

[00:02:20] Janet Taggart: Well, in our work environments, we still have the opportunity and, honestly, we actually have the need to show and tell.

[00:02:28] The truth is, most people around us are absorbed in their own worlds. If we wanna be seen and valued, we must intentionally show the difference we are making and tell how and why our work matters. The visibility is an ego, it’s impact. Today we’re gonna focus on the show part of the show and tell of leadership.

[00:02:51] Stephanie Willmore: Okay, let’s help our viewers define that. What do you mean by show? What are we talking about in terms of leadership? 

[00:02:58] Janet Taggart: In order to build trust and credibility in leadership, you need to have something to show. That means you must build a performance track record. Clear, tangible outcomes that demonstrate effort, and more importantly, impact.

[00:03:14] That is why so much energy is placed on smart objectives. You know, the ones specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They help you to stay focused on results that could be proven and not just promised. 

[00:03:29] Stephanie Willmore: That makes sense and especially when an organization has, you know, is fast-growing, performance can get lost in the busyness of growth.

[00:03:38] Janet Taggart: Absolutely. And the importance of building a track record based on doing what you’ve set out to do really can’t be overemphasized, over and over again, predictable, reliable, certain. Take Tom, not his real name, for instance. He’s someone who has the appetite to make a positive difference. He’s got decent interpersonal skills and even solid expertise, but he doesn’t follow through on the work he’s been tasked to do.

[00:04:06] He often talks about and comes up with solutions for issues that are outside of his role. His lack of follow-through and his focus outside of his job to the exclusion of getting results hasn’t earned the trust of his leaders and coworkers. In other words, there’s no show in his show and tell yet.

[00:04:27] For leaders who have someone like Tom in their organization, it is difficult to help them provide their greatest value to the team and the organization, and to expand their influence toward issues that they care about. We help in individuals like Tom to recognize what they can do in the scope of their current role to gain the respect and trust of others, to understand that they must fully show their capability and capacity to get their work done before others will be open to hearing their perspective on matters related to their job responsibilities, and over time to grow their influence to address issues that others are open to and interested in solving.

[00:05:10] Stephanie Willmore: That’s a really good point. As an accountability coach, I’ve found that clients that I work with who really come through with their follow-through on their goals and with their aspirations really do gain the trust of their leaders and are invited for more opportunities. I love that point. So what happens when someone consistently shows up and delivers?

[00:05:30] Janet Taggart: What happens is your achievements, and later in your career, your team’s consistent achievements become expected and respected. It creates a reputation. You become known as someone who can be counted on. When something critical must be accomplished, your name rises to the top. You establish the belief, the knowledge among others that if something critical is to be accomplished, your hands, your efforts are to be trusted.

[00:05:58] It’s not flashy, it’s not glamorous, but over time, your performance track record is established one achievement at a time. It’s established day after day, week after week, month after month, and year over year. 

[00:06:13] Stephanie Willmore: So when you’re talking about show, which with, in terms of show and tell, with your work performance, you’re talking about not a single grand slam project, but building consistency.

[00:06:23] Janet Taggart: Exactly. And that consistency gives you something incredibly valuable. Your consistent performance is the foundation from which you gain credible, authentic access to a seat at the leadership table. That’s where the real opportunities emerge.

[00:06:42] Stephanie Willmore: Right. Well, that’s a really great point. Let’s shift gears a little bit. And you’ve worked with leaders who feel discouraged when they see others who they feel like aren’t delivering, but also seem to get ahead. What would you say to them? 

[00:06:57] Janet Taggart: It’s a tough pill to swallow sometimes. That’s not to say that you won’t notice others who talk their way into the seat at the table.

[00:07:04] Some people are charming. They build relationships through conversation or charisma, but without actually achieving much, or worse, some jump from job to job before their lack of results catches up with them. That’s exactly what we saw with Daniel when he hired a temp to take care of some of the excess work on his team.

[00:07:26] This temporary worker was great at networking, but neglected the basics of his job, or with Thomas, who himself is warm and articulate but unclear on what he and his team were accomplishing. That gap eventually caught up with him as well. Conversely, the most devious of these may be quick to point blaming fingers, to find scapegoats, and to either ingratiate themselves to self-serving autocrats, or to jump from position to position before their lack of performance catches up to them.

[00:08:01] Like the person who kisses up to leadership while undermining others. 

[00:08:06] Stephanie Willmore: In this situation, I’ve heard you still encourage leaders to stay grounded. Why do you make that recommendation? 

[00:08:15] Janet Taggart: Well, it’s because that path, though it’s flashy, is unsustainable. We aren’t naive to these shenanigans, but we see them for what they are.

[00:08:25] They’re disingenuous and non-performant, expensive conversant ornaments at many leadership tables. But don’t be disheartened by those who have no substance. Instead, we invite you to be open-eyed, observant, and mission-focused. Hold your performance ground and continue to solidify your position as a leader who can be trusted to deliver.

[00:08:52] One client, whom I’ll call Sonya, worked for a leader who, year after year, neglected to get an important initiative over the finish line. An initiative, by the way, that the board was very interested in achieving as soon as possible. Yet every year and throughout each year, this leader explained away why the task was so difficult, that he needed more time, and of course, more budget.

[00:09:17] Finally, the board had had enough, and the leader was let go. A new leader was hired, and through our coaching, Sonya was able to distinguish herself as someone the new leader and the board could trust and rely on. Sonya was put in the position of spearheading the completion of the initiative, and with a lot of hard work, was able to bring it over the finish line on time and on budget.

[00:09:40] Stephanie Willmore: That’s a really good example, but what about those who feel like they are struggling with delivery? What would you say when they feel like they’re just not there yet? 

[00:09:48] Janet Taggart: Well, it’s an important place to be, and that’s where growth begins. If you are underdelivering right now, figure out a way to start building a track record of success.

[00:09:59] Align yourself with someone who can teach you their approaches and tools. Practice and keep practicing. Performance is your rock-solid foundation, and it gives you something real to talk about. You know, at Peridot Circle Consulting, our mission is to help leaders lead and to help the best leaders become better.

[00:10:17] So, whether we’re coaching an aspiring leader, building their first track record, or an executive ready to scale their influence, we emphasize clarity of goals, reliable execution, and intentional visibility. If you want career acceleration, especially in fast-paced industries like tech, SaaS, or FinTech, your show is your gateway.

[00:10:38] Stephanie Willmore: Great. And today, we’ve really focused on the show part of the equation, but what’s the other side of the coin? 

[00:10:45] Janet Taggart: There is another side, and that is the telling part, and it’s just as important and often missed. And this telling part is how you articulate your achievements, communicate your value, and show your impact in ways that resonate.

[00:11:00] But that’s for our next podcast episode.

[00:11:02] Stephanie Willmore: Well, thank you so much for joining us, Janet, and emphasizing the importance of showing through consistency, that your performance really has substance, and where that can take you. And to our listeners, thank you for joining us on this episode of the Leadership Transformations podcast.

[00:11:19] If you’re an HR leader committed to building a strong leadership pipeline, or a business leader who knows that your company’s growth depends on the growth of your people, we would love to connect. At Peridot Circle Consulting, we partner with forward-thinking organizations to help leaders at every level rise to their potential with programs, coaching, and tools that create real impact. Until next time.

At Peridot Circle, we facilitate the growth and transformation of individuals, leaders, and emerging leaders of fast-growing tech-savvy organizations. If any of our listeners are interested in learning more about our approach to leadership coaching at Peridot Circle Consulting and how to help transform how you show up at work, book a consult with us online at peridotcircleconsulting.com. We would love to help you and your organization achieve more than ever before.