The Cost of Assumptions

In this episode of UH-OH Conversations with Cohesive Leaders, Dr. Troy Hall and Ben-Jamin Toy welcome the insightful and refreshingly candid Kandi Gongora. She’s a leadership powerhouse with a sharp eye for operational gaps and a soft spot for reality TV.

Kandi shares a recent UH-OH moment that hit where it hurts: employee compensation. What happens when a trusted leader is new, confident… and wrong? What’s the real cost of assuming someone’s got it covered? And more importantly, how do you recover trust once it's been fractured?

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why trust needs to be earned (and re-earned) when pay is on the line
• How great leaders walk with their team through mistakes rather than assigning blame
• Why communication isn’t the key—comprehension is
• Practical ways to repair relationships after missteps, including feedback loops, retro boards, and culture councils

This episode is a masterclass in owning mistakes, rebuilding credibility, and creating psychological safety for future conversations.

If you’ve ever made a leadership call that backfired, or worried you might, this one’s for you!