145: "What Would You Want From Your Manager If You Survived a Layoff?" ft. Alli Murphy

Mass layoffs, uncertainty, and pressure to perform—this conversation tackles one of the hardest realities leaders face: guiding a team through chaos when you don’t have answers yourself.

Erik and Alli unpack what leadership actually looks like in these moments—less about strategy, more about humanity. From one-on-one conversations to sitting in discomfort, this episode challenges the instinct to “fix” and instead reframes leadership as presence, trust, and intentional communication.

🧭 Conversation Highlights

• Lead One Human at a Time
  In moments of disruption, mass communication isn’t enough. Real leadership happens in one-on-one conversations where people feel seen and heard.
• Resist the Urge to Solve Too Fast
  The instinct to fix everything immediately can backfire. Leaders need to create space before jumping into solutions.
• “Sit in the Suck” Is a Strategy
  Avoiding discomfort delays progress. Acknowledging frustration, anger, and uncertainty is a necessary step—not a weakness.
• Different People, Different Reactions
  Not everyone experiences layoffs the same way—some feel fear, others relief, others guilt. Leadership requires listening, not projecting.
• Vulnerability Builds Trust—If Done Right
  Leaders don’t need all the answers, but they do need honesty. Sharing uncertainty (without spiraling) strengthens credibility.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Connection beats communication. People don’t need perfect answers—they need to feel understood.
• Listening is the leadership move. Especially when you don’t have control, your presence matters more than your solutions.
• Emotions aren’t a distraction—they’re the work. Ignoring them creates bigger problems later.
• Preparation isn’t just tactical—it’s relational. Trust built before a crisis determines how well you lead through it.
• Great leaders run toward the fire. Avoidance erodes trust. Presence builds it.

❓ Questions That Mattered

• What would you want from your manager if you were still there after layoffs?
• How do you lead when you don’t have answers?
• Are you listening to your team—or projecting your own fears onto them?
• What happens when empathy turns into avoidance?
• How do you prepare for a crisis you can’t predict?
• What impact is your team actually making—and who knows about it?
• If cuts happened tomorrow, who would be most at risk—and why?
• Where have you avoided giving feedback that could have changed someone’s trajectory?

🗣️ Notable Quotes

• “You don’t have the answers—and that might be the thing that earns you the most trust.”
• “When something catastrophic happens, it requires a one-on-one human touch.”
• “Sit in the suck before you try to solve it.”
• “Just because you feel something doesn’t mean your team feels the same way.”
• “The best leaders run into the fire—and treat the humans in it with them appropriately.”

🔗 Links & Resources

• Listen to other episodes co-hosted with Alli