Latest news with #emotionalcontrol
Fast Company
11 hours ago
- General
- Fast Company
Your team under fire? Here are 3 ways to approach it with care
When your team is criticized, how you respond can make all the difference. As a leader, it's no secret that you need to support your team and stand up for them. However, many managers still stay silent when their peers, or their own superiors, criticize a person on their team in meetings. At the same time, some managers may hesitate or feel uncertain about how to defend their team. But if you, as the direct manager, won't oppose arguments about your team, who will? Here are three practical ways to go about your next conversation when your team's work ethic is questioned. RESPOND, DON'T REACT I know you might feel protective of your team, but don't be too quick to defend them without knowing the full story. There are two things to keep in mind in your response when you face situations like this. First, your team member's reputation within your peer group takes a hit, which could impact their future opportunities. Second, the person is unaware of what happened since they weren't in the room. When you react haphazardly, you risk undermining your own leadership and making the situation worse. Assess the situation first and never, ever jump to conclusions. Great leaders have sound emotional control. Remind yourself that you're not expected to solve the problem right there and then, and you shouldn't feel pressured to do so. Listen to the entire feedback, even if it feels unfair or incomplete, and stay calm. At the same time, it's not good to hear criticisms and just be completely silent. Make them feel heard and ask questions that uncover context. Create space for dialogue and gather the full story. Here's how you can open the conversation: 'Thanks for sharing that with me. I wasn't aware of the situation, but I appreciate you bringing it up. I'd like to better understand what happened—can you walk me through exactly what was said or done, and how it came across in the room?' (Listen, then follow with:) 'That's helpful context. I'll speak with [team member] privately to hear their side as well and see what might have contributed to the misunderstanding. If needed, I'll circle back with you so we can figure out how to move forward together.' INVESTIGATE BEFORE YOU DEFEND Now that you know the side of your peers or superiors, it's time to do your due diligence before deciding on anything. Be the one to initiate an investigation. Give as much time to hearing out your team members the same way you did the other party. Focus on gathering facts rather than lecturing your team. Ask questions that clearly tell you what happened, what they were trying to do, and how they think it came across. You're only there to understand, not point fingers. As today's generation says,'We listen, and we don't judge.' You should also check in with everyone involved, as they can help fill in the gaps, confirm details, and uncover different perspectives. After all this, you can make your observations. It could be a simple misunderstanding, an error in communication, or even just complete negligence, but whether you need to offer feedback, provide coaching, or clear up a misconception, your response will carry more weight because it's grounded in fairness and facts. By handling things fairly and taking the time to hear everyone out, you earn respect as a leader who doesn't take sides but just focuses on understanding the issue and finding the right solution. BE CONSISTENT IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE Your team shouldn't question where you stand. If you stay supportive behind closed doors but stay silent in meetings, it sends mixed signals. Real leadership is about showing up the same way—whether your team is in the room or not. Consistency builds trust. It tells your team that you have their back, not just when it's convenient, but when it counts. If something needs to be addressed, do it directly and constructively. But if the situation calls for clarity or defense, don't hold back either. They're not looking for blind loyalty—they're looking for fairness that doesn't waver depending on the audience. YOU SEE WHAT OTHERS DON'T—SPEAK TO THAT As their manager, you have a front-row seat to their growth, challenges and everyday effort. When criticism arises, you can offer what others can't: the full picture. Bring in context your peers or superiors might not know—what the person was trying to achieve, the constraints they were working within or improvements they've made recently. This doesn't excuse poor performance, but it adds depth to the conversation. You might say: 'I understand the concern. I'd like to share what I've observed from my end because there's more to the story.' When you offer that kind of perspective, you help people make better decisions. And your team learns that you won't just sit quietly while others form opinions without the full view.
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Dave Portnoy's attack on his own Barstool employee proves he has a 'frightening darkness', says sports podcaster
Dave Portnoy's furious outburst towards one of his Barstool employees proves he has a 'disturbing' lack of emotional control and a 'darkness' inside him. That's the scathing verdict of conservative podcaster Jason Whitlock, who branded the viral clip of Portnoy tearing into his staffer 'frightening' and 'indefensible.' On the latest episode of his company's The Unnamed Show, the Barstool founder and president lost his cool with regular co-host Kirk Minihane for leaping to the defense of another podcaster he has recently accused of being anti-Semitic. Their dispute over freedom of speech eventually turned personal, with Portnoy - who is Jewish himself - at one stage shouting to Minihane: 'Shut the f*** up you bald f***.' 'You work for me you little b****. You work for me,' he also added. And that shocking moment from the show, which has divided opinion on social media, left Whitlock stunned. The outspoken political commentator quoted it on X and concluded: 'This video is disturbing. The lack of emotional control, the condescension and supremacist mindset, the anger. WOW. 'There's a darkness within Portnoy that's frightening. This is indefensible.' A number of other users, including former NFL star Dez Bryant, have also taken aim at Portnoy over his altercation with Minihane, with Bryant even labeling him a 'b****' for speaking to his employee in such a manner. The 48-year-old has since responded to those critics in a new video on X, where he singles out Bryant and Whitlock in particular. 'These guys can just shut up and mind their business,' he said about the backlash over his argument with Minihane. 'Welcome to Barstool, alright. This is how we talk to each other back and forth, especially Kirk and I. So just shut up, shut up. Those people don't know what the f*** they're talking about.' Before their viral spat, Minihane first addressed an elephant in the room when he revealed he and Portnoy had argued the previous day about one of his basketball teammates known as 'Mick'. Dave recently accused Mick, who also hosts the 'Beyond Average Podcast' with Kirk, of being an anti-Semite over a post he sent to him on X. The post in question, which was a response to Portnoy fuming over a vile anti-Semitic sign that was held up at one of his Philadelphia bars last month, accused the Barstool chief of hypocrisy after alleging that he has said 'multiple racial slurs on camera' himself. Mick also sparked outrage by branding him 'Rabbi Dave' at the start of the message, before adding, 'he's in no place to lecture people on what's okay to say.' When discussing the controversy on The Unnamed Show, Minihane challenged Portnoy when his boss doubled down on his claim that Mick is an 'anti-Semitic piece of s***'. WARNING - Strong language in the clip below. Momma there goes that man again…. People love clipping and taking what I say out of context so here it is for everybody in the back. If you hate Jews you can skip this rant. — Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 5, 2025 'I don't think it makes you anti-Semitic,' he replied. 'I think we just disagree.' Minihane went on to argue that his basketball teammate and podcast co-host should be entitled to make jokes, while Portnoy fired back by insisting that the term 'Rabbi Dave' crossed the line. The latter also claimed that Mick responding to the 'F*** the Jews' sign held up at his bar by accusing him of hypocrisy proves he is anti-Semitic himself. After they continued to go back and forth for close to 10 minutes, Portnoy then unleashed personal insults towards his employee as tempers flared. When Portnoy told him to shut up, Minihane said: 'Don't tell me to shut up.' 'Shut the f*** up you bald f***,' Portnoy replied. 'How's that?' 'I'll never recover from that Dave, I'll never recover,' Minihane joked. Portnoy then fumed: 'You work for me you little b****. You work for me.' Minihane responded: 'Sure, you bet. For now.' Portnoy said at the end of their fiery spat: 'Oh you don't? For now? Quit, I don't care. You're an idiot.' Eventually the pair cooled down, before Minihane's co-host Ryan Whitney interjected as the discussion slowly returned to normality. 'I think it's entertaining content,' Whitney said. 'I really see Dave's side, [but] I see both sides. I'm kind of a middle man. Mick posted this message to Portnoy on X after the Barstool chief fumed about a vile anti-Semitic sign that was held up at one of his bars last month (above) Portnoy's staffer challenged his boss after he claimed Mick is an 'anti-Semitic piece of s***' 'I'll tell you right now, I really didn't think I was signing up for this when we were doing a show talking about Barstool stuff.' In his new video on X, Portnoy explained: 'A troll basically was saying I have no right to talk about that [the sign at his bar in Philadelphia] or be mad about that, it's just a joke, I make jokes and when are jokes illegal? Well that's an anti-Semitic piece of s***. 'I'm not saying he should be in jail, I'm not saying put him in cuffs... I'm just saying that dude is an anti-Semitic piece of s***. 'If you can't tell the difference between "F*** the Jews" and just be like "What, I can't joke any more?" Either way, freedom of speech, I'm fine with it. I've dealt with Jewish jokes for years. Have you ever seen me talk about, "Oh don't make Jewish jokes" - no. I've got thick skin, I don't give a f***. 'Suddenly I'm mentioning it because I've noticed a real change in this country where it's just open season on the Jews.' Mick, meanwhile, has responded to allegations that he is anti-Semitic on several occasions in recent days. When one user called out his 'Rabbi Dave' post, the podcaster replied on X: 'That's not anti semitic. I was making fun of Dave for being a pandering stooge. Mick responded by accusing Portnoy of being 'afraid to have a real conversation' with him 'Also, if he was a catholic and I called him 'Father Portnoy' nobody would say a word about it. You're being a giant baby as well.' Mick also alleges that Portnoy cancelled one of his scheduled appearances on The Unnamed Show amid their fallout. He quoted a clip of Portnoy's argument with Minihane and said: 'Just a pathetic day for Portnoy. I'm not sure you'll ever see someone so afraid to have a real conversation. 'Also, he can keep saying I'm a 'nobody' but ultimately it's him who's trashing my name each week on his show. Regardless, I appreciate Kirk going to bat for me here.'
